French movie star and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot has died at the age of 91.
Born in 1934 in Paris, the actress shot to international fame with the 1956 film And God Created Woman, written and directed by her then-husband Roger Vadim.
It is believed that Bardot died weeks after undergoing surgery and battling a ‘sudden illness’.
She was said to be at her home in Saint-Tropez when she was suddenly rushed to a hospital in nearby Toulon.
The Brigitte Bardot Foundation said in a statement: ‘The Brigitte Bardot Foundation announces with immense sadness the passing of its founder and president, Madame Brigitte Bardot, a world-renowned actress and singer, who chose to abandon her prestigious career to dedicate her life and energy to animal welfare and her foundation.’
It added: ‘The Brigitte Bardot Foundation wishes to pay tribute to the memory of an exceptional woman who gave up everything for a world more respectful of animals.
‘Her legacy remains, living through the actions and battles that the foundation pursues with the same passion and the same loyalty to her ideals.’
Following her movie debut in the 1952 film The Girl In The Bikini, she became an international sex symbol during the Sexual Revolution of the post-war period.
Nicknamed by the British and US press as ‘sex kitten’, Bardot was famous for portraying sexually liberated women with hedonistic lifestyles.
While in her youth, she also sang and modelled before she announced her shock retirement from acting in the early 1970s to focus. fully on supporting animal rights.
Earlier this year, Bardot denied her own death on social media with a fierce statement.
The actress posted on her X account to dismiss an announcement of her death made by influencer Aqababe in a now-deleted social media post.
Brigitte said: ‘I don’t know who the idiot who started this “fake news” about my disappearance but know that I am doing well and I have no plan on taking my bow. A word to the wise.’
This came after there were reports that Bardot had been hospitalised in October.
The actress underwent a procedure which went well and it was reported she had returned home from hospital and was doing ‘well’.
A previous report from a French media outlet claimed the star’s condition was ‘worrying’, but her team has since provided a statement clarifying her condition.
Bardot was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1984, however she refused to undergo chemotherapy treatment and decided only to do radiation therapy. The legendary actress recovered in 1986.
In 2023, it was revealed that she had suffered respiratory problems due to the heat, which saw her requiring medical assistance from first responders at her Saint-Tropez home.
The legendary French star’s husband Bernard d’Ormale said paramedics, who initially went to the wrong address, gave her oxygen before going to a medical centre for tests.
Last month, the second of Bardot’s four husbands, French actor Jacques Charrier, died at his home in Saint-Briac-sur-Mer, on the Brittany coast, aged 88.
The former couple share a son, Nicolas-Jacques Charrier, whose birth Bardot described in her memoir as being incredibly difficult.
After their son’s birth in 1960, Charrier was hospitalised for nervous depression. The couple divorced in 1963.
Brigitte started her acting career in the 1950s and achieved international recognition.
Her other film credits include Jean-Luc Godard’s film Le Mépris and Viva Maria, for which she was nominated for a Bafta award.
As well as acting, Brigitte was a singer and collaborated with musicians including Serge Gainsbourg.
After starring in nearly 50 films and recording more than 60 songs, she retired from showbiz at a young age to pursue animal activism.
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