French actress and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot has died at the age of 91, according to a statement issued yesterday by the late performer’s animal protection organisation – the Brigitte Bardot Foundation.
In the French language notice, the foundation said that Brigitte “chose to abandon her prestigious career to dedicate her life and energy to the defense of animals and to the foundation,” which was established in 1986.
No cause of death was given, although it was reported in October that the actress had been experiencing health issues that resulted in her being hospitalised for around three weeks.
Reuters noted that Bardot had undergone a “minor surgery” at the Saint-Jean Private Hospital in Toulon, France, before returning home to Saint-Tropez for further recovery.
Bardot’s death has led to an outpouring of tributes, including one from French President, Emmanuel Macron, who described the performer as a “legend of the century” who “embodied a life of freedom.”
Meanwhile, Bardot’s hometown of Saint-Tropez issued a statement, calling her “the most radiant ambassador” who “left her mark on the history of our town” through “her presence, her personality and her aura.”
French screen legend, Pierre Arditi, also gave his condolences, describing Bardot as “the most beautiful woman in the world.”
Similarly, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) noted that she was “a symbol of sexual liberation in films and starred in numerous French cinema hits in the 1950s and ‘60s.”
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Bardot’s entertainment career began in the 1950s, with the then 18-year old actress gaining global prominence via her role in the sexually provocative film And God Created Woman (1956), which was directed by her husband at the time, Roger Vadim.
The screen siren would continue to star in other hits that solidified her standing in the world of cinema, with some of her most representative works being Contempt (1963) and Viva Maria! (1965), for which she earned a Bafta nomination.
Although Bardot was known for her cinematic output, she was also known for her advocacy for animal rights. In 2017, she penned a letter to the then Macao Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On to take action to protect the greyhounds that were facing eviction in the wake of the Canidrome’s closure.
Towards the latter part of her life, Bardot began to attract controversy for her bigoted views on Islam and the LGBTQ+ community. Her comments led to her receiving five fines from French courts from 1997 to 2008 for “inciting racial hatred,” including a €15,000 one over her comments that Muslims are “destroying us, destroying our country by imposing its acts.”
The 91-year old married four times in her life, with her final one to former right-wing party adviser Bernard d’Ormale lasting from 1992 up until her death.
