Brigitte Bardot Dies at 91: French Cinema Icon and Animal Rights Warrior Bids Farewell

Brigitte Bardot, the famous French actress who became a sex symbol in the 1960s and then spent the rest of her life working to help animals, has died at the age of 91. On December 28, 2025, her foundation confirmed the news. They said she died at her home in southern France after having health problems.

Bardot became famous around the world for her role in “And God Created Woman” (1956), which showed young people rebelling and started the sexual revolution in film. She was in almost 50 movies, including Jean-Luc Godard’s “Contempt.” People loved her pouty lips, messy hair, and free-spirited sexuality. She stopped acting at the height of her fame in 1973 to focus on activism.

In her later years, Bardot started the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, which fights for animal rights and is a strong opponent of cruelty. French President Emmanuel Macron called her a “legend of the century” who “embodied a life of freedom” and praised her love of animals. Organizations like the Société Protectrice des Animaux sent in tributes, calling her a “iconic figure for the animal cause.”

Bardot’s stormy love life included marriages to director Roger Vadim and others, as well as high-profile affairs and suicide attempts during her rise to fame. She made St.-Tropez a glamorous hotspot, but later criticized the changes, and she was fined for her controversial views on immigration. Life magazine wrote about her impact in 1961: girls all over the world copied her style and wanted to be as free as she was.