Reflections on the death of Brigitte Bardot, a pop icon with some vile views

Last Saturday morning, I read about the death of Brigitte Bardot, the sultry French film siren of the 1950s and 1960s.  Bardot was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actress for her performance in Louis Malle's 1965 film Viva Maria!  She was so popular that in 1969, her features were selected to be the model for Marianne, the national emblem of France and the the official Gallic seal.  Her visage appeared on statues, postage stamps and coins.  French President Charles described Bardot as "the French export as important as Renault cars."  Although a cultural icon, she was a complex women who held some hateful views.  She was xenophobic racist.

Bardot withdrew form the entertainment industry in 1973 and became s staunch animal-rights activist. 

In 1977, she formed the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, during a mission to condemn the killing of seal pups and seal hunting on the Canadian ice floe. She was photographed lying down beside the seal pups.  She also condemned the use of animals in labratory experiments.

In 1985, Bardot was awarded France's highest recognition, the Legion of Honour.  In 1986, she founded the Brigitte Bardot Foundation for the Welfare and Protection of Animals.  She became a vegetarian and auctioned off jewellery and personal possessions to fund the foundation.  After appearing in more than 40 films and recording several music albums, the actress and singer used her stardom to promote the cause of animal rights.  

In 2007, on her 70th birthday, Bardot made the following comments to The Associated Press: "Man is an insatiable predator.  I don't care about my past glory.  That means nothing in the face of an animal that suffers, since it has no power, no words to defend itself."

 

Brigitte Bardot passed away on December 28, 2025 in Saint-Tropez at the age of 91.  When I learned of her passing, some thoughts passed through my mind.  Bardot was a controversial figure, not only for her sexual openness and her militant animal-rights activism.  She was also controversial because of her extreme right wing political views.  

In 1992, Bardot married for the fourth time, to Bernard d'Ormale, a onetime advisor to Jean-Marie Le Pen, who founded the far-right National Front party.  In 2011, when Le Pen stepped down as party leader, his daughter Marine, took over until 2021.  In 2018, the National Front changed its name to the National Rally.  Its founder, Jean-Marie Le Pen died last January.  In her later years, Bardot publicly supported the National Rally Party,  She referred to Marine Le Pen as the "Joan of Arc" of the 21st century.

Bardot was convicted and fined in French courts for inciting racial hatred for her criticism of Muslims.  She referred to residents of Réunion as "savages" (Réunion is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France within the African region).  Sadly, her animal rights diatribes took on a more extremist complexion.  She often denounced the influx of immigrants into France, especially Muslims, for their slaughtering of sheep during religious holidays.  She claimed that she "never knowingly wanted to hurt anybody."  She added that with regard to Muslims, "I think there are some who are very good and some hoodlums, like everywhere."

I find Bardot's impassioned support of animal rights difficult to square with her extreme right-wing views.  Someone who is kind to animals is usually considered to be a benign person.  One thinks of Saint Francis of Assisi.  However, those who torture animals often turn out to be serial killers.  The paradox of Brigitte Bardot is that she cared so much for the welfare of animals, but had such little regard for some of her fellow human beings.

When Brigitte Bardot died, French President Emmanuel Marcron stated, "We are mourning a legend."  She was a legend with feet of clay, 

SOURCES: CBS News, "Brigitte Bardot, French 1960s cinema icon and animal rights activist," December 28, 2025, Wikipedia

- Joanne