BREAKING NEWSBrigitte Bardot, Legendary French Actress and Blonde Bombshell, Dies at 91
Actress Brigitte Bardot has died at the age of 91.
Dec. 28 2025, Published 8:08 a.m. ET
Brigitte Bardot, the iconic French actress and woman known for her Hollywood's s-- kitten persona, has died. She was 91.
Her foundation told CNN in a statement on December 28: “The Brigitte Bardot Foundation pays tribute to the memory of an exceptional woman who gave everything and gave up everything for a world more respectful of animals. Her legacy lives on through the actions and struggles the Foundation continues with the same passion and the same fidelity to her ideals.”
Brigitte Bardot Left Hollywood in 1973 to Focus on Her Animal Rights Advocacy
Brigitte Bardot starred in several Hollywood films throughout the 1950s and 1960s.
The exact details of Bardot's passing have yet to be revealed.
The blonde bombshell made waves in Tinseltown during the 1950s and 1960s, starring in films such as Contempt, God Created Woman and The Truth.
The onscreen s-- symbol was also a noted animal rights activist, having left the film industry in 1973 to focus on her advocacy work.
The French actress suffered with some health issues in the last few years of her life.
Bardot was born in Paris in 1934 and first began her career by working as a model, having appeared on the cover of Elle magazine in 1950 when she was just 15.
She then dipped her toes into acting, starring in the 1952 film Crazy for Love, 1953’s Manila, as well as The Long Teeth.
In 1965, she starred with actor James Stewart in Dear Brigitte, also further cementing her place amongst the Hollywood elites with comedy roles in La Parisienne and Babette Goes to War.
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The French Star Was Hospitalized Months Before Her Death
The s-- symbol retired from acting in 1973.
After retiring from film, she launched the Brigitte Bardot Foundation for the Welfare and Protection of Animals in 1986.
Bardot was married four times, including a short-lived relationship with And God Created Woman director Roger Vadim. She was a mother to one son, Nicholas, who was born in 1960.
In October, Bardot was hospitalized with a "serious illness" in France. She was rushed to the hospital at the time and was receiving care for three weeks while recovering from surgery. Bardot, who lived in St. Tropez, was also tended to with medical care in 2023 after she had difficulty breathing.
Brigette Bardot was a major advocate for animal rights.
The starlet had a slew of controversies throughout her life, including criticizing the #MeToo movement, making racist remarks against Muslims and immigrants, as well as aligning herself with the French far-right political agenda.
“Many actresses flirt with producers to get a role. Then when they tell the story afterwards, they say they have been harassed … in actual fact, rather than benefit them, it only harms them.” she told Paris Match in 2018 about women who advocate for the #MeToo campaign.
Bardot claimed she has never been a victim of sexual harassment and also noted: “I thought it was nice to be told that I was beautiful or that I had a pretty little a--. This kind of compliment is nice.”
