Brave Last Days: Brigitte Bardot, 88, Struggled to Breathe as Ambulance 'Got the Wrong' Address, Husband Reveals
Brigitte Bardot's husband was forced to phone an ambulance after his wife struggled to breathe inside of their French home on Wednesday morning, July 19.
"It was around 9 a.m. when Brigitte had trouble breathing," the famous s** symbol's husband, Bernard d'Ormale, revealed to a local St. Tropez news outlet following the health scare.
To make matters worse, the ambulance initially "got the wrong" address as Bardot, 88, continued to have difficulty breathing while waiting for first responders' arrival.
"It was harder than usual but she didn't lose consciousness," d'Ormale explained, optimistically pointing out how much more frightening the situation could have been.
"Let's call it a moment of respiratory distraction," d'Ormale, 82, continued, noting first responders eventually arrived and "gave her oxygen to breathe and stayed for a moment to watch her. "
As for what caused the crisis, Bardot's husband believes it had something to do with the brutal summer temperatures in the South of France.
"Like all people of a certain age, she can no longer bear the heat," d'Ormale explained of Bardot — who is famously known for portraying sexually emancipated characters in the 1950s and 1960s.
"It happens at 88 years old. She must not make unnecessary efforts" in order to avoid heat exhaustion or future health scares, d'Ormale concluded.
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This isn't the first time Bardot's health has landed her in the headlines this year.
Back in April, a French publication posted an article claiming the Contempt actress was in the intensive care unit after "serious respiratory failure," further alleging via translation that she had suffered "cognitive disorders affecting oral expression and writing."
Shortly after the piece was published, Bardot uploaded a hand-written letter to Twitter contradicting the claims and confirming she was "doing very well."
"The press made a scandal with a malaise that happened to me in January and of which we make a fuss today," The Legend of Frenchie King star admitted at the time, noting she hadn't lost any cognitive abilities.
Bardot even sent the letter to the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, to prove just how angry she was by the false report.
Varmatin spoke to d'Ormale about Bardot's breathing troubles.