Brigitte Bardot, French Cinema Icon and Activist, Dies at 91

Brigitte Bardot, the legendary French actress who transitioned from a global 1960s sex symbol to a fierce and often controversial animal rights activist, has passed away at the age of 91.

According to the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, the actress died Sunday at her home in St. Tropez. While no specific cause of death was released, she had recently been hospitalized. French President Emmanuel Macron led the nation’s tributes, describing her as a "legend."

From Screen Siren to National Symbol Bardot shot to international fame in 1956 with the film "And God Created Woman," directed by her first husband, Roger Vadim. Her performance broke social taboos and redefined the portrayal of female sensuality in cinema. By 1969, she was so deeply embedded in French culture that her face was used as the model for Marianne, the official national emblem of the French Republic.

Despite her massive success in films like Contempt and The Truth, Bardot struggled with the pressures of fame and depression, retiring from acting in 1973 at the age of 39 to devote her life to animals.

A Life of Activism and Controversy Through the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, she became a militant advocate for wildlife, famously traveling to the Arctic to protest seal clubbing and campaigning against the consumption of horse and dog meat.

However, her later years were marked by significant legal and social friction. Bardot became an outspoken supporter of far-right politics and was convicted five times in French courts for inciting racial hatred, primarily due to her vitriolic comments regarding the Muslim community and ritual slaughter.

Bardot is survived by her fourth husband, Bernard d’Ormale, and her son, Nicolas.