Europe Brigitte Bardot, French Screen Icon and Animal Rights Activist, Dies at 91

The Digest:

French cinema legend Brigitte Bardot, who became an enduring symbol of 20th-century sexual liberation and later a lifelong animal rights campaigner, has died at the age of 91. From her breakout role in And God Created Woman to her decades of advocacy through the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, her life traced a dramatic arc from global sex symbol to outspoken activist.

Key Points:

• Brigitte Bardot starred in nearly 50 films before retiring from acting at age 39
• She later devoted her life to animal welfare through her foundation
• French President Emmanuel Macron hailed her as a “legend of the century.”
• Bardot faced multiple convictions for inciting racial hatred over anti-Muslim remarks
• She was criticized in 2018 for dismissing the #MeToo movement
• Fans gathered in Saint-Tropez, where she lived, to pay emotional tribute
• Bardot was hailed by philosopher Simone de Beauvoir as an icon of “absolute freedom.m”

She lived many lives in one: a screen siren who became a voice for the voiceless, a figure of liberation who also embodied controversy, reminding us that icons are rarely simple, and their light casts both warmth and shadow.

Sources: BBC News