©Courtesy of Spirits of the Dead
Former French actress and style icon, Brigitte Bardot has died at the age of 91. The retired performer passed away on yesterday, December 28, 2025 at her home in southern France.
Bruno Jacquelin of the Brigitte Bardot Foundation for the protection of animals confirmed the news to The Associated Press. No cause of death was provided in the announcement provided for the iconic sex symbol.
The news of Berdoe’s death comes after she underwent minor surgery that reportedly went well in mid-October. She recovered at home in Saint-Tropez, southern France, after being released from the hospital. The actress thanked staff and the surgical team at the Saint-Jean Private Hospital in Toulon upon her release.
Bardot’s acting career, which lasted from the early 1950s to the early 1970s, initially catapulted her into international fame. During her first decade on screen, she ignited an international desire to see boldly sexual European movies. Those films, including And God Created Woman, were often directed by her first husband, Roger Vadim.
After Bardot retired from acting in films in the early ’70s, her influence was still far-reaching. She popularized the troupe of youthful blondes in cinema, particularly in American movies. Her characters often contrasted those played by a more mature, womanly blonde like Marilyn Monroe. Bardot was instead more often compared to Audrey Hepburn. They both popularized the emphasis on youth in female sexuality in movies, as well as all media.
Bardot’s foreign films helped open the door on sexuality in America’s conservative culture of the 1950s. Her bold films helped signal the end to decades of censorship. As a result, when Bardot tried to become a serious actress with such films as Jean-Luc Godard’s Contempt, her attempt was only met with limited success.
Bardot’s breakthrough role was in And God Created Woman, which was written and directed by Vadim. The movie was released in late 1956, while her marriage to Vadim was breaking up.
The movie was only a modest success in France. But it found more success overseas, earning $8.5 million around the world.
Bardot eventually became France’s highest-paid film performer. She eventually tried to further prove herself an actress in Babette Goes to War, as a member of the French Resistance. She also appeared in Louis Malle’s A Very Private Affair and Henri-Georges Clouzot’s La Verite in 1960.
The performer continued to work for Vadim during this period. However, he had already started collaborating with other actresses. She had also recently married her second husband, actor Jacques Charrier.
Bardot’s last two films were both made in 1973. They include Vladim’s Don Juan, or If Don Juan Were a Woman and Nina Companeez’s The Edifying and Joyous Story of Colinot.
The actress was born to an upper-middle-class Parisian family. Early on she showed talent as a dancer. She decided to study ballet at the Hattemer’s private school and then the Paris Conservatory.
At age 15, at the recommendation of a friend, Bardot modeled for the cover of Elle magazine. The cover was seen by director Marc Allegret, who was looking for a new face for his film The Laurels Are Cut.
Though she didn’t get the part, Allegret’s assistant, Vadim, got Bardot small roles in small films. They went on to marry in a much publicized 1952 event that helped promote the up-and-coming actress. The first movie she appeared in to be released in the U.S. was Anatole Litvak’s An Act of Love.
In addition to her film work, Bardot also recorded approximately 80 songs. Some garnered popularity in the 1960s and ’70s.
Bardot’s sensual, carefree persona in the ’50s redefined femininity. Her tousled hair and bold eyeliner set fashion trends worldwide. The actress’ style helped support post-war emancipation, particularly in making it more acceptable among socially progressive young people
Bardot also drew attention in 1953, at the age of 18, when she posed for photos on the beach while wearing a tropical-print bikini. For those who hadn’t seen her film from the year before, Marina, the Girl in the Bikini, in which the actress played the titular character, the photo shoot was considered a gross and indecent act of exhibitionism.
But the movie and photo shoot helped the swimsuit become mainstream throughout the ’50s. Similar photos would later be taken of fellow actresses Anita Ekberg and Sophia Loren while they attended the Cannes Film Festival in the French city. As a result, Hollywood stars considered it a high honor when they were photographed in swimsuits on the Riviera in the mid-21st century.
After retiring from acting, Bardot continued to receive attention because of her personal life. She engaged in numerous love affairs, advocated for animals and supported right-wing politics. She also notably drew fines imposed by French courts for inciting racial hatred after repeatedly making controversial remarks.
Bardot was married to German playboy Gunter Sachs in the late 1960s. She also married wealthy industrial Bernard d’Ormale, a supporter of the far right in France, in 1993. Bardot is survived by d’Ormale; a son from her marriage to Charrier; and two granddaughters.
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