Brigitte Bardot, the iconic French star who rejected Hollywood hedonism for fierce animal rights activism and bold anti-immigration stances, has passed away at 91, reminding conservatives of the courage to speak truth against cultural decay.
Story Highlights
- Bardot died December 28, 2025, at her southern France home after a life of stardom, personal struggles, and controversial activism.
- Rose to fame in 1956’s scandalous “And God Created Woman,” embodying 1960s sexual liberation before retiring at 39.
- Founded animal rights foundation, opposed seal hunts and lab testing, earning France’s Legion of Honor in 1985.
- Shifted to far-right views, criticizing Muslim immigration and ritual slaughter, leading to five convictions for inciting racial hatred.
- Supported nationalists like Jean-Marie and Marine Le Pen, dismissing #MeToo as hypocritical in 2018.
From Screen Siren to National Icon
Brigitte Bardot became an international celebrity in 1956 through “And God Created Woman,” directed by her husband Roger Vadim. The film featured scandalous scenes of her dancing naked on tables, symbolizing France’s break from bourgeois norms.
Her tousled blond hair, voluptuous figure, and pouty irreverence defined her stardom across over two dozen films. In 1969, France chose her features for Marianne, the national emblem, placing her image on statues, stamps, and coins. President Emmanuel Macron mourned her as a legend on X.
Brigitte Bardot, 1960s French sex symbol turned militant animal rights activist, dies at 91 https://t.co/nUOACvKX3q
— NOLA.com (@NOLAnews) December 28, 2025
Animal Rights Warrior Against Global Excess
Bardot launched her activism career protesting Arctic baby seal slaughters and animal lab experiments. She opposed Muslim slaughter rituals, declaring in 2007, “Man is an insatiable predator.” France awarded her the Legion of Honor in 1985 for these efforts. She founded the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, selling personal assets to fund it.
Her campaigns targeted dog meat in South Korea and U.S. Navy dolphin recaptures, even challenging traditions like Italy’s Palio horse race. Conservatives admire her unyielding defense of the voiceless against overreach.
Far-Right Shift and Censored Courage
Bardot’s views hardened after her 1992 marriage to Bernard d’Ormale, adviser to far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen, whom she called a “lovely, intelligent man.” She decried Muslim immigration and sheep slaughter practices, earning five French court convictions for inciting racial hatred. In 2012, she backed Marine Le Pen’s presidential bid.
Towns removed her Marianne statues in 1997 over anti-immigrant comments. Le Pen hailed her Sunday as an “exceptional woman” and “incredibly French.” Her stance echoes conservative frustrations with unchecked migration eroding national identity.
In 2018, amid #MeToo, Bardot dismissed protesting actors as “hypocritical” for teasing producers to get roles. She found compliments on her beauty “charming” and never claimed harassment. Born in 1934 to wealth, she endured a strict upbringing with ballet training and early Elle covers.
Fame brought depression, suicide attempts, and regret over her son Nicolas, whom she gave up. Retiring in 1973 to St. Tropez, she battled media intrusion, likening it to animal hunts. Fans left flowers at her villa Sunday as locals urged privacy respect.
Legacy of Defiance in a Woke World
Bardot identified with persecuted animals, saying media hounding mirrored their plight. Activist Paul Watson noted disagreements with her politics but praised her animal allegiance.
Bardot’s story resonates with Americans valuing family and common sense over leftist censorship. Her rejection of 1960s hedonism for principled stands offers lessons in resilience against cultural erosion and government silencing of dissent.
