Brigitte Bardot: A Cinematic Icon Passes Away at 91

Mon Dec 29 2025 16:29:00 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The legendary French actress Brigitte Bardot, known for her revolutionary impact on cinema and her later commitment to animal welfare, has passed away at the age of 91.

Brigitte Bardot, the acclaimed French actress and cultural icon, has died at the age of 91. Renowned for her roles in films such as 'And God Created Woman', Bardot was not only a pioneer of sexual liberation in cinema but also an ardent animal rights activist. Her death was met with mourning from both the public and prominent figures including French President Emmanuel Macron. Despite her cinematic legacy, her later years were marked by controversy over her comments on social issues.

French actress Brigitte Bardot, who revolutionised 1950s French cinema and became a symbol of sexual liberation, has died aged 91.

The cinema icon - BB as she was known in her home country - acted in almost 50 films, including And God Created Woman, but retired in 1973 to devote her life to animal welfare.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the nation was mourning a legend of the century, while the Brigitte Bardot Foundation remembered her as a world-renowned actress.

Later in life, Bardot's reputation was damaged after she made homophobic slurs and was fined multiple times for inciting racial hatred.

The Brigitte Bardot Foundation she established said in a statement that it was announcing her death with immense sadness. The animal welfare organisation called her a world-renowned actress and singer, who chose to abandon her prestigious career to dedicate her life and energy to animal welfare and her foundation.

Bardot was born in Paris in 1934 to a wealthy family, who wanted her to become a ballerina. She was discovered in her teens after posing on the cover of Elle magazine, swiftly becoming a sensation in her home country, and was persuaded to enter the cinema world.

She played iconic roles, most notably in the 1956 film And God Created Woman, directed by her then-husband Roger Vadim, in which she played a sexually liberated woman. The film scandalised the American public and was banned in some US states, while French existentialist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir hailed her as an icon of absolute freedom.

Through the late 1950s and 1960s, she became a global phenomenon with roles in The Truth, earning critical acclaim for her dramatic depth; Contempt, a Jean-Luc Godard masterpiece; and Viva Maria!, showcasing her comedic flair alongside Jeanne Moreau.

Bardot's career eventually took a turn when she chose to focus on animal rights, establishing the Brigitte Bardot Foundation in 1986. Despite her dedication to animal welfare, Bardot leaves behind a controversial legacy, with her later remarks impacting her public image. Bardot's passing marks the end of an era for French cinema and a significant chapter in the narrative of cultural change in the 20th century.