Brigitte Bardot: Cinema Legend and Activist Dies Aged 91
Brigitte Bardot, the definitive face of 1950s French cinema, has died at the age of 91.
Once hailed by philosopher Simone de Beauvoir as an icon of “absolute freedom”, the actress transitioned from a world-famous screen siren into a relentless animal rights campaigner.
After starring in nearly 50 films – including the scandalous “And God Created Woman” – Bardot stunned the world by retiring at 39. She famously declared: “I gave my youth and beauty to men, I give my wisdom and experience to animals.”
Through her foundation, she became a devoted protector of wildlife, lobbying every French president for decades.
However, her legacy remains deeply fractured. Between 1997 and 2008, French courts convicted her five times for inciting racial hatred following inflammatory remarks about Muslims and immigration. Her alignment with the far-right National Rally and her dismissal of the #MeToo movement as “hypocritical” alienated many former admirers.
President Emmanuel Macron led tributes, stating the nation was mourning “a legend of the century”. Bardot died at her home on the French Riviera on Sunday, 28 December, having remained a polarising figure yet passionate about her beliefs until the end.
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