Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot (born 28 September 1934, Paris, France – died 28 December 2025, France) was a French film actress, model, singer and animal rights activist. She was recognized as one of the leading stars of French and international cinema during the 1950s and 1960s. After retiring from acting, she became active in the field of animal rights and gained prominence through her work with the Brigitte Bardot Foundation (Fondation Brigitte Bardot), which she established in 1986.

Brigitte Bardot was born on 28 September 1934 in Paris, the capital of France. Her father, Louis Bardot (1896–1975), received training in engineering and worked in the family business that produced liquid air and acetylene. Louis Bardot, who also had an interest in poetry, published several volumes of verse. Her mother, Anne-Marie Toty Bardot, received training in theatre and dance during her youth.

Bardot was the elder of two daughters in her family. She began dance lessons at the age of five and at thirteen trained in ballet alongside dancers such as Leslie Caron. This artistic education, encouraged by her mother, laid the foundation for Bardot’s future stage and screen career.

Brigitte Bardot took her first steps in modeling at the age of 15. Her physical features attracted attention and she quickly appeared in Elle, one of the leading publications of the era. The photographs published in this magazine gave her visibility both in France and internationally.

Her modeling work played a significant role in her transition to cinema. Attracted by her beauty, film producers soon took notice and Bardot entered the film industry, launching her acting career. This transition helped shape the French star system in the early 1950s and increased Bardot’s recognition as a screen icon.

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Brigitte Bardot’s cinema career began in 1952 with the role of Javotte Lemoine in the film Canımın İçi (Le Trou normand). That same year she appeared in two more films and began attracting attention in French cinema. In 1953 she starred alongside Kirk Douglas in Bir Aşk Böyle Bitti (Un acte d'amou), marking her first appearance in an American production. However, Bardot largely continued her career in France.

She achieved international breakthrough in 1956 with Roger Vadim’s film Ve Tanrı Kadını Yarattı (Et Dieu... créa la femme). The film quickly transformed Bardot into a global cinema icon. Her natural screen presence and the stance she brought against traditional female representations of the era secured her a unique place in film history.

^{Scene from Ve Tanrı Kadını Yarattı (}IMDb⁾

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s she appeared in numerous films. Major works include Hakikat (1960), Nefret – Uslanmaz Dilber (1963), Viva Maria! (1965), Shalako (1968) and Don Juan '73 (1973). She worked with important directors such as Jean-Luc Godard, Louis Malle, Henri-Georges Clouzot and Philippe de Broca.

Bardot’s French-language films were widely shown in the United States, often dubbed, and her photographs were frequently published in American magazines. In the 1965 film Tatlı Hayal she portrayed herself in a scene.

After playing the role of Arabelle in the 1973 film L'histoire très bonne et très joyeuse de Colinot Trousse-Chemise, she retired from acting at the age of 39. Her decision to leave acting stemmed from the intense media attention and constant intrusions into her private life. After this date, Bardot largely ended her public life and turned to other pursuits.

Brigitte Bardot was also active in music during the 1960s and 1970s. In addition to acting, she recorded several popular French songs. Among the songs she recorded during this period are “Harley Davidson”, “Je Me Donne à Qui Me Plait”, “Bubblegum”, “Contact”, “La Madrague”, “Sidonie” and “Tu Veux, Tu Veux Pas”.

In 1967 she recorded the song “Bonnie and Clyde” with French musician Serge Gainsbourg. The song later re-entered public consciousness through its use in films such as Bitirim İkili 3 (2007) and Mad Men (2007). In the same year, Gainsbourg wrote and recorded with Bardot the song “Je t’aime... moi non plus”; at Bardot’s request, it was not released. Gainsbourg later re-recorded the song with Jane Birkin a year after.

Bardot appeared in numerous short music films and television performances during her music career. Music videos for songs such as “Harley Davidson”, “Contact” and “La Madrague” from 1967 are representative examples of this era.

She also recorded a vocal performance of the classic tale Velveteen Rabbit, produced by Pierre Patrick for Connecticut Family Theatre. Although her music career was not as extensive as her film career, it resulted in numerous recordings that contributed significantly to French pop music of the time.

^{Brigitte Bardot (}Public Domain Pictures⁾

Brigitte Bardot’s private life attracted public interest and has been extensively documented. She married four times. Her first marriage was to director Roger Vadim on 20 December 1952; the union ended on 6 December 1957. She then married actor Jacques Charrier on 18 June 1959, and their son Nicolas-Jacques Charrier was born on 11 January 1960. The couple divorced on 20 November 1962. Bardot’s third marriage was to German businessman Gunter Sachs on 14 July 1966; it ended on 3 July 1969. On 16 August 1992 she married Bernard d'Ormale and remained with him until her death.

Her son Nicolas spent his childhood with his father’s family and had no contact with his mother until adulthood. In 1997, Nicolas and his father Jacques Charrier filed a lawsuit against Bardot after passages in her memoir were deemed to have violated their privacy. A French court fined Bardot for breaching the confidentiality of private life. Except for a family gathering in 1992, she had no contact with her son or her two grandchildren.

From the 1950s onward, Bardot was frequently in the public eye due to her open relationships and romantic involvements. She was linked long-term with Jean-Louis Trintignant, Bob Zagury, Patrick Gilles, Jean Blaise and Allain Bougrain-Dubourg, and her name was also associated with Warren Beatty, Jimi Hendrix and Serge Gainsbourg.

Bardot made several suicide attempts throughout her life; the most recently reported attempt occurred in 1992.^【1】 When diagnosed with breast cancer, she initially refused treatment but began therapy after intervention by her close friend Marina Vlady. She was diagnosed with amblyopia (lazy eye) in childhood and experienced vision loss in her left eye.

The intense media attention Bardot faced throughout her life, including paparazzi harassment and fan invasions, eventually led her to reduce her public visibility.

After retiring from cinema in 1973, Brigitte Bardot became deeply involved in animal rights activism. She directed the financial and moral resources gained through her fame toward this cause. The Brigitte Bardot Foundation, which she established in 1986, operates exclusively to protect animals and promote their welfare. The foundation’s initial funding came from proceeds generated by auctioning Bardot’s personal belongings.

As an activist, she drew attention not only through fieldwork but also through public statements. In 1994 she published an open letter criticizing Sophia Loren for posing in fur for a campaign on behalf of the Italian fur company Annabella. In the letter, Bardot described fur advertising as “degrading and repulsive profits earned with blood-stained money” and called on Loren to boycott this “terrible trade”.^【2】

Bardot’s advocacy for animal rights was often remembered for its forceful campaign language. Her work in this field intersected with certain social and political debates. Nevertheless, many in the public recognized her more for her contributions to animal rights than for her cinematic career.

After her cinema career, Brigitte Bardot became known in public life primarily for her political and social statements. Particularly from the 1990s onward, her various declarations and published texts sparked numerous controversies in France. Her remarks were interpreted as anti-immigrant and anti-Islamic, leading to multiple trials in France on charges of hate speech and racist expressions.

She frequently adopted controversial positions on social issues. For instance, her anti-abortion statements and negative comments regarding interracial marriage (miscegenation) drew criticism. Her anti-LGBTQ+ remarks were also met with public condemnation.

Brigitte Bardot was one of the figures who left a lasting impact on cinema, fashion and popular culture in the mid-20th century.

Her contribution to fashion was especially notable. The “Bardot bouffant” hairstyle, the choucroute (sauerkraut) hair style and her distinctive clothing aesthetic became trendsetting in women’s fashion and were adopted by numerous models and artists over the years. Models such as Claudia Schiffer, Anna Ewers, Lara Stone, Daphne Groeneveld, Doutzen Kroes and Georgia Jagger, who were directly inspired by Bardot and known as “baby Bardots”, carried her style into subsequent generations.

Bardot’s influence extended beyond fashion and cinema into music and media. She was referenced in The Pretenders’ song “Message of Love” and Menswear’s “Stardust”. Her name was mentioned in Bob Dylan’s 1963 song “I Shall Be Free”. Time magazine described her as the “pout princess” and “countess of carefree, naive sexuality”^【3】 .

Her place in popular culture has been sustained through parody and homage. Empire magazine ranked her ninth on its list of “The 100 Sexiest Film Stars of All Time”. In 2015 she was inducted into the Hair Fan's Hall of Fame.^【4】

Her influence was also recognized internationally. A statue was erected in her honor in the Brazilian town of Búzios for her contributions to the community. In France she served as the model for the bust of Marianne, the symbol of the Republic, between 1969 and 1978.

Although she retired from acting at an early age, Bardot remained a lasting figure in popular culture. Through both her style and her public demeanor, she became one of the undisputedly influential icons of film history and modern culture.

In 1961 Bardot received the David di Donatello Award for Best Foreign Actress for her performance in the film Hakikat (La Vérité). This award, one of Italy’s most prestigious cinema honors, was regarded as a testament to her international success.^【5】

In 1958 she was nominated for the Bambi Awards in the category of International Best Actress for Ve Tanrı Kadını Yarattı and later won the award, becoming a Bambi Award recipient.^【6】 Additionally, in 1967 she received a nomination for the BAFTA Film Awards in the category of Best Foreign Actress for her role in Viva Maria!.^【7】

She was nominated for two consecutive years, 1977 and 1978, for “Favorite Female Sex Symbol” at the Photoplay Awards.^【8】

In 2019 Bardot was honored with the CinEuphoria Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to cinema and culture throughout her career.^【9】

Brigitte Bardot died on 28 December 2025 in France at the age of 91 after a prolonged illness. She spent the final years of her life with her husband Bernard d'Ormale in St. Tropez, living largely out of the public eye.

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Alongside her legacy in cinema and music, Bardot is remembered for her impact on animal rights activism. She left behind a legacy as one of the most captivating cultural figures of the 20th century.