French cinema icon Brigitte Bardot has died at the age of 91, her foundation announced in a statement shared with Agence France-Presse. No details were given regarding the time or place of her death. The Brigitte Bardot Foundation described her as a world-renowned actress and singer who chose to leave her celebrated career behind to devote her life to animal welfare and advocacy.
In October, French media reported that Bardot had been recovering in a private hospital in Toulon following surgery related to a serious illness, with her condition described as worrying. Her health had been fragile in recent years. In 2023, emergency services were called to her home after she experienced breathing difficulties during a summer heatwave. Her husband, Bernard d’Ormale, said at the time that she no longer tolerated extreme heat well.
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Born in Paris in 1934, Bardot trained as a ballerina before finding fame as a model and actress. She rose to international stardom in the 1950s after her breakthrough role in And God Created Woman (1956), becoming a symbol of sensuality and freedom. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, she starred in dozens of films, including Contempt, La Vérité, and Viva Maria!.
Bardot retired from acting in 1973 and later founded the Brigitte Bardot Foundation in 1986, dedicating her life to animal rights. Though often controversial, her cultural influence endured, making her a lasting symbol of French cinema’s golden age.