Brigitte Bardot bows out: The bombshell who seduced cinema and fought for animals dies at 91

Brigitte Bardot, the 1950s sex symbol who reshaped cinema before dedicating her life to animal rights, has died at 91, drawing global tributes to a legend who defied convention.

WEBDESK — Brigitte Bardot, the woman who taught the world that sensuality could be a statement of rebellion, has died at the age of 91, her foundation confirmed on Saturday.

A global sex symbol of the 1950s and 1960s, Bardot was more than a blonde bombshell. She was an era. With her untamed hair, barefoot defiance and unapologetic femininity, “BB” shattered post-war conservatism and redefined female freedom on screen — and off it.

Born in Paris in 1934, Bardot exploded onto the international stage with And God Created Woman (1956), a film so provocative it scandalised audiences and cemented her status as cinema’s ultimate siren. She went on to star in nearly 50 films, becoming the embodiment of French chic — sensual, fearless and impossibly modern.

Then, at the height of her fame, she did the unthinkable.

Bardot walked away.

Retiring from cinema in her late 30s, she turned her back on fame to dedicate her life to animal rights, settling in Saint-Tropez and founding the Brigitte Bardot Foundation. What began with rescuing a single goat on a film set evolved into a lifelong crusade that reshaped animal welfare debates across Europe and beyond.

French President Emmanuel Macron called her “a legend of the century,” saying Bardot embodied freedom, beauty and passion — and gave France one of its most recognisable faces.

Yet Bardot remained controversial. Her outspoken political views and repeated convictions for hate speech divided public opinion, ensuring that even in death, she would not be universally adored.

Loved, criticised, desired and debated — Brigitte Bardot never faded quietly.

She didn’t just star in history.
She provoked it.

And in true BB fashion, she exits as she lived: unforgettable, untamed, and unapologetically herself.