France’s former film icon Bardot passes away at 91
Brigitte Bardot, 91, died Sunday at her home in southern France. The cause of death has not been announced; she had been hospitalized the month before. No funeral arrangements have been made.
Her career began with the 1956 film And God Created Woman, which brought her international fame. She appeared in 28 films, including The Truth (1960) and Women (1969). In 1969 her likeness became the national emblem Marianne.
She received the Legion of Honour in 1985 for her animal‑rights work and founded the Brigitte Bardot Foundation. The foundation campaigns against seal hunting, laboratory testing, and the use of animals in space research, and lobbies for bans on dog and horse meat.
Later, Bardot’s statements drew controversy. She criticized Muslim slaughter practices, supported Marine Le Pen in 2012, and was convicted five times for incitement of racial hatred between 1997 and 2008.
Bardot married Roger Vadim (1952), Jacques Charrier (1959), Gunther Sachs (1966), and Bernard d’Ormale (1992). She had a son, Nicolas, with Charrier. She retired from acting in 1973 and lived on the Côte d’Azur until her death.