WEBDESK: The death of Brigitte Bardot at the age of 91 closes one of the most paradoxical chapters in modern French cultural history. Once the embodiment of freedom, glamour and rebellion in post-war cinema, Bardot leaves behind a legacy that is as controversial as it is unforgettable.
In the late 1950s and 1960s, Bardot was not merely a film star; she was a phenomenon. Her image redefined femininity, challenged conservative norms and projected France onto the global cultural stage. At the height of her fame, she chose an abrupt retreat, withdrawing from cinema at just 39 and settling into a secluded life in Saint Tropez.
What followed was a dramatic transformation. Bardot reinvented herself as a fierce animal rights activist, founding the Brigitte Bardot Foundation in 1986. She campaigned relentlessly for animal protection, from baby seals and elephants to the closure of horse abattoirs. For many supporters, this phase cemented her moral seriousness and lifelong commitment to a cause larger than celebrity.
Yet as her activism intensified, so did her political rhetoric. Bardot increasingly aligned herself with France’s far right, making inflammatory remarks about immigrants, Muslims and the LGBTQ community. Her words shocked former admirers and shifted public perception from icon to provocateur.
French courts convicted Bardot five times between 1997 and 2008 for inciting hatred. In one notable ruling, she was fined for describing Muslims as a force destroying France. In another case, she was found guilty of derogatory comments aimed at residents of France’s overseas territories. These convictions transformed her from a beloved national symbol into one of the country’s most polarising figures.
Her personal life reflected the same shift. In 1992, she married Bernard d’Ormale, a former adviser to the far-right National Front, and openly supported both Jean Marie Le Pen and Marine Le Pen, once calling Marine Le Pen the Joan of Arc of the twenty-first century.
Even in her final weeks, Bardot did not soften her tone. In her last book, published shortly before her death, she criticised modern France as submissive and bleak, while repeating disparaging remarks about gay and transgender people.
For some, Bardot remains an icon of liberation and animal welfare. For others, she symbolises how fame can harden into intolerance. In death, as in
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