Brigitte Bardot, actor, muse and prototype of liberated female sexuality, dies at 91

Brigitte Bardot, the iconic French actress known for her beauty and considered a symbol of female liberation in the 1950s and 60s, has passed away at the age of 91.

Brigitte Bardot, who had stepped away from acting years ago, passed away at her home in southern France, according to Bruno Jacquelin of the Brigitte Bardot Foundation for animal welfare. He did not disclose the cause of death. Bardot had experienced health problems in recent years, including a breathing issue that required hospitalization in July 2023, and further hospital stays in 2025.

Brigitte Bardot was famous for her unpredictable nature, self-destructive tendencies, and passionate, often impulsive relationships. A major fashion trendsetter and constant subject of media attention, she stopped acting at the young age of 39 and largely withdrew from public life. In her later years, she occasionally spoke out about issues she cared about, including animal welfare and what she saw as a decline in moral values, though she also became known for expressing controversial and prejudiced political opinions.

And, as if in protest of her famed beauty, Bardot happily allowed herself to age naturally.

In a 1996 interview with The Guardian, she described her life as a series of extremes – filled with both incredible highs and devastating lows, love and hatred. She felt that everything in her life had been taken to an excess.

Entertainment & Arts

I’m incredibly saddened to report the passing of Diane Keaton, a true icon of the silver screen. Best known for her unforgettable roles in classics like ‘Annie Hall’ and ‘The Godfather,’ the Oscar winner was 79 years old. Her talent and unique presence will be deeply missed.

Oct. 11, 2025

Brigitte Bardot was once France’s sweetheart, even meeting with President Charles de Gaulle and becoming a subject of study for the famous philosopher Simone de Beauvoir. She was a cultural icon – a young John Lennon famously had her picture on his bedroom wall.

Marilyn Monroe often played the innocent, but Brigitte Bardot was open and uninhibited about her sexuality. She openly had affairs with her co-stars, famously depicted in a provocative scene in her 1956 film, “…And God Created Woman.” Although many of her movies weren’t particularly memorable, Bardot projected a strong sense of female empowerment that continues to resonate today.

Brigitte Bardot was born on September 28, 1934, in Paris. She grew up in a devout Catholic household with her younger sister, the daughter of a factory owner and a prominent socialite.

Brigitte Bardot trained in ballet at the Paris Conservatoire and, encouraged by her mother, began modeling. She became a cover girl for Elle magazine at just 14 years old. Filmmaker Marc Allegret noticed her potential and sent his young assistant, Roger Vadim, to find her.

Vadim and Bardot had a passionate relationship that lasted for years. During this time, Vadim helped create the seductive image Bardot became famous for. However, Bardot was a natural force – as Vadim himself noted, she didn’t play a role, she simply was herself.

Entertainment & Arts

Brigitte Bardot, the famous French actress, experienced breathing difficulties during the recent heat wave and paramedics were called to her home in St. Tropez on Wednesday.

July 19, 2023

Brigitte Bardot married Vadim when she was just 18, and he immediately cast her in the film “…And God Created Woman.” The movie told the story of a woman who falls in love with her husband’s younger brother. Though it caused controversy and was censored in the United States, the film launched Bardot to stardom and made her a symbol of a new, modern France.

Vadim explained that he aimed to portray a typical girl who simply expressed herself in ways traditionally associated with boys, and without feeling any shame or moral conflict about it.

In her personal life, Brigitte Bardot ended her relationship with Vadim and began a romance with her co-star, Jean-Louis Trintignant. She then became known for her playfully seductive roles, notably in the 1957 comedy “Une Parisienne,” and later played a troubled young woman in the 1958 drama “Love Is My Profession.”

In 1959, she became pregnant with the child of French actor Jacques Charrier, and they subsequently married. They had one son together, named Nicolas.

In her blunt 1996 memoir, “Initiales B.B: Mémoires,” Brigitte Bardot described her desperate and painful efforts to end her pregnancy, including asking doctors for morphine and physically harming herself. Nine months after her son was born, she attempted suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills and cutting her wrists – the first of several such attempts throughout her life. After recovering, she relinquished custody of her son and divorced her husband, Charrier.

World & Nation

Brigitte Bardot, a famous actress, was taken to the hospital Saturday night after a possible overdose of tranquilizers, according to a medical source.

Nov. 15, 1992

Looking back, I realized I just wasn’t grounded enough to understand Nicolas’ background. I was going through so much of my own stuff, feeling totally lost and off-kilter, that I couldn’t really connect with where he came from.

Brigitte Bardot achieved her biggest commercial success with the 1960 film “The Truth,” where she played a woman accused of murder. Many consider her most memorable role to be in Jean-Luc Godard’s 1963 film “Contempt,” portraying a wife whose feelings for her husband fade. In 1965, she received a BAFTA nomination for her work in the comedy “Viva Maria!,” where she played a circus performer who becomes involved in politics.

All the while, though, Bardot courted drama and lived large.

Brigitte Bardot had a famous affair with singer Serge Gainsbourg while she was married to German businessman Gunter Sachs. Gainsbourg wrote a sensual song for Bardot called “Je t’aime … moi non plus,” which Donna Summer later reimagined and released as the hit song “Love to Love You Baby.” By 1969, Bardot had divorced Sachs and was rumored to have been involved with several prominent figures, including Warren Beatty and Jimi Hendrix.

Brigitte Bardot became overwhelmed by the pressures of fame and worried she would suffer a similar fate to Marilyn Monroe, either dying young or losing her dignity in the public eye, like Rita Hayworth. Despite appearing self-assured, she revealed in her autobiography that she struggled with depression while trying to manage her complicated and hectic life.

Read More