Tributes have been paid to Brigitte Bardot, the French actress and singer who rose to international fame as a 1950s and 60s sex symbol before abandoning cinema to devote her life to animal rights activism, following her death aged 91.
President Emmanuel Macron said she had “embodied a life of freedom” and called her “a legend of the century”, while figures from the nationalist National Rally, including Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen, praised her patriotism, courage and devotion to animals.
Macron said: “Her films, her voice, her dazzling fame, her initials, her sorrows, her generous passion for animals, her face that became Marianne, Brigitte Bardot embodied a life of freedom. A French existence, a universal radiance. She touched us. We mourn a legend of the century.”
Saint Tropez town council issued a statement on Sunday: “Brigitte Bardot, an icon of French and international cinema, will forever be associated with Saint-Tropez, of which she was the most radiant ambassador.
“Beyond the star, the people of Saint-Tropez will cherish the memory of a woman who, more than 50 years ago, at the height of her international fame, chose to settle permanently in Saint-Tropez, at La Madrague, to dedicate herself to the defence and protection of animals.
“Through her presence, her personality, and her aura, she left her mark on the history of our town and contributed to making Saint-Tropez shine throughout the world.”
Her death was announced on Sunday by the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, which said she had chosen to give up her prestigious career to dedicate herself fully to animal welfare. Bardot became a global icon after starring in And God Created Woman (1956) and went on to appear in major French and international films, while also influencing fashion, music and intellectual life and becoming the first real-life model for Marianne, symbol of the French republic.
She retired from acting in 1973, later founding her animal protection charity and campaigning internationally against practices she considered cruel. In later decades she was outspoken in her frank political views and support for the nationalist right.
CENTRE: Bardot’s Elle cover, at the age of 15, launched her career