Brigitte Bardot, the legendary French actress and passionate animal rights advocate, has died at the age of 91. While celebrated for her iconic film career, Bardot remained a controversial figure in later decades due to her outspoken political views.
In the late 1990s, she made headlines with remarks about Muslims and the slaughter of sheep, leading to multiple convictions for hate speech. Bardot consistently defended herself, writing in her 2018 book Larmes de Combat (Tears of Battle) that she never intended to promote racism and was motivated solely by her dedication to animal welfare.
Bardot also openly supported far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen in both the 2012 and 2017 elections. She once described Le Pen as a modern “Joan of Arc,” praising her as a strong female leader capable of “saving France,” and added that she was “the only woman… who has balls.”
Born in Paris, Bardot appeared in around 50 films before retiring from cinema to focus entirely on animal advocacy. Her legacy combines cinematic brilliance with a tireless commitment to animal rights, though her outspoken political stances often sparked debate.
