"I gave my beauty and my youth to men. I am going to give my wisdom and experience to animals." - Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Bardot, an icon of French cinema and an avid animal rights activist passed away on December 28, 2025 at her home in Saint-Tropez, France. She was 91 years old.
Bardot began her acting career in 1950 and rose to stardom in the 1960s with movies like "And God Created A Woman" directed by her then-husband Roger Vadim, "Le Mépris" (Contempt) by Jean-Luc Goddard, "LaVérité" (The Truth) by Henri-Georges Clouzot, or "Viva Maria!" by Louis Malle.
Bardot's involvement with animal rights began in 1962 when she saw pictures from slaughter houses. The actress left her cinematic creer behind in 1973 and dedicated her life to the protection and welfare of animals. After receiving a letter from the French writer Marguerite Yourcenar, Bardot publicly denounced the massacre of baby seals and the ignoble fur trade. In 1977 she traveled to Canada and was filmed on an ice floe with baby seals. The images went around the world. Her action would lead to a ban of trade in seal skins.
Bardot, a vegetarian, opposed the use of animals in laboratory experiments, fought against whaling, bullfight and fur trapping. She abhorred fox hunting, the consumption of dog meat in Korea and horse meat in France, the exploitation of wild animals for circus shows, and tirelessly fought to end animal abuse in general. She believed that animals were some of the most defenseless victims of the cruel, and often barbaric, practices in modern societies.
In 1986 she established the Brigitte Bardot Foundation dedicated to the protection of animals. She auctioned her jewelry and personal belongings to raise the money for the foundation. Between 1988 and 1992 Bardot led a French television series "S.O.S. Animaux" that exposed animal cruelty. Her activism was not meant to be comfortable for her audiences. The shock treatment was meant to influence public opinion and set a change of attitude in motion. Animal welfare became her moral imperative.
"In a democracy one must have the right to express oneself and that's what I do, even if it displeases." - Brigitte Bardot
Bardot's political views were subject to controversy. She openly opposed mass immigration and the islamisation of France and was associated with the French far right movement.
Despite her radical political views most people will remember B.B. for her love of animals and her devotion to animal welfare around the world.
A beautiful, courageous, caring woman went over the rainbow bridge...
Dominique Allmon