rance's eternal 'Sex Kitten' Brigitte Bardot has passed away at 91, leaving behind a legacy that spanned sultry cinema stardom, scandalous sensuality and fierce animal rights crusades. The icon, who exploded onto screens with her breakout role in And God Created Woman, died peacefully at her home in southern France on December 28, 2025, following a recent illness and surgery. Tributes poured in from world leaders and fans alike, cementing her status as a 20th-century legend who redefined beauty, rebellion and compassion.
Rise of the global sex symbol
Born in Paris in 1934 to a bourgeois family, Bardot traded ballet dreams for modeling and acting, captivating audiences at 21 with And God Created Woman (1956), directed by her first husband Roger Vadim. Her beach dance scene — barefoot, tousled and unapologetically nude — shattered taboos, turning "BB" into the face of the sexual revolution and a pin-up for millions.
She starred in over 40 films, including Contempt (1963) with Marcello Mastroianni and Viva Maria! (1965) alongside Jeanne Moreau, blending pouty innocence with raw allure that earned Hollywood crossovers like Dear Brigitte with James Stewart. Bardot's off-screen life fueled headlines: four marriages, a suicide attempt in 1960 amid fame's pressures, and hit songs with Serge Gainsbourg like "Bonnie and Clyde."
Hollywood flirtation and early retirement
Bardot dipped into American cinema with Shalako (1968) opposite Sean Connery, but mental health struggles and media frenzy prompted her early exit from acting at 39 in 1973. She cited exhaustion from constant objectification, famously quipping that fame felt like a "gilded cage" trapping her sensuality on endless replay.
Her final films captured a maturing icon — from playful romps to poignant dramas — but Bardot always prioritized personal freedom over scripts, retreating to St. Tropez for a life less scripted.
Animal rights warrior and controversy
In 1986, Bardot founded the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, channeling her spotlight into saving animals and battling bullfighting, fur trade and lab testing. She logged over 300 fines for criticizing Islam and halal practices, embracing far-right views on immigration while railing against stag hunting until her final days.
Recent health woes included a 2023 respiratory scare and October 2025 surgery, yet she mourned friends like Alain Delon (2024) and ex-husband Jacques Charrier (September 2025) with undimmed passion. Her October book Mon BBcédaire decried a "dull, sad France," urging right-wing revival.
Tributes from a grieving world
French President Emmanuel Macron hailed her as a "legend of the century," while the Société Protectrice des Animaux called her an "iconic figure for the animal cause." No funeral details emerged yet, but her foundation's statement emphasized a peaceful end after decades of defiance.
Bardot's death closes a chapter on cinema's original rebel — from bikini-clad provocateur to eco-fighter — whose pout and principles reshaped culture forever.
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