French actor Brigitte Bardot dies at 91
The time or place of her death is yet to be known
Brigitte Bardot, the French actor and singer who rose to global fame as one of cinema's most enduring sex symbols before abandoning the film industry to dedicate her life to animal rights activism, has died at the age of 91, reports The Guardian.
"The Brigitte Bardot Foundation announces with immense sadness the death of its founder and president, Madame Brigitte Bardot, a world-renowned actress and singer, who chose to give up her prestigious career to devote her life and energy to animal welfare," the foundation said in a statement sent to Agence France-Presse today (28 December).
The statement did not specify the time or place of her death. Born in Paris in 1934 into a prosperous Catholic family, Bardot initially trained as a ballet dancer and earned admission to the Conservatoire de Paris.
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Alongside her studies, she worked as a model and appeared on the cover of Elle in 1950 at the age of 15, an exposure that opened the door to film roles.
She married Vadim in 1952, shortly after turning 18, and began appearing in increasingly prominent parts, including a role opposite Dirk Bogarde in Doctor at Sea (1955).
Following the success of And God Created Woman, Bardot became a leading figure in French cinema, starring in acclaimed films by Clouzot, Malle, and Godard, while her influence extended beyond the screen—shaping cultural debate, inspiring artists and intellectuals, and earning her selection in 1969 as the first real-life model for Marianne, the symbol of the French Republic.
She also pursued a parallel music career, recording several songs and collaborating with Serge Gainsbourg. During an affair between the two, Bardot recorded the original version of Je t'aime… moi non plus, though she later asked that it not be released to avoid scandal.
Bardot was married four times—first to Roger Vadim, then to actor Jacques Charrier, with whom she had one son, Nicholas, followed by German industrialist Gunter Sachs, and later Bernard d'Ormale, a former adviser to Jean-Marie Le Pen. A defining figure of post-war popular culture, a pioneering animal rights activist, and a controversial public voice whose later political positions drew widespread criticism.
