A polarizing figure to the end, Bardot was praised by supporters as a cultural icon and fearless defender of animals, while criticized for extremist views that overshadowed her later years. French President Emmanuel Macron called her “a legend,” marking the passing of one of France’s most influential and contentious public figures.
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Brigitte Bardot, the French actress who became a global sex symbol in the 1950s and 1960s before reinventing herself as a high-profile animal rights activist, has died at 91. She passed away at her home in southern France, according to the Brigitte Bardot Foundation.
Rising to international fame with And God Created Woman (1956), Bardot embodied a new image of female freedom and sensuality that helped define an era and made her one of the most recognizable figures in French culture. At the height of her fame, her likeness was chosen for Marianne, the national symbol of France. Despite her success, she struggled with depression and retired from filmmaking in 1973 at just 39.
In midlife, Bardot devoted herself to animal protection, founding a major advocacy organization and campaigning worldwide against practices such as seal hunting, animal experimentation, and ritual slaughter. Her activism earned both admiration and controversy, as her outspoken opposition to immigration and Islam led to multiple convictions for inciting racial hatred and aligned her publicly with France’s far right.
A polarizing figure to the end, Bardot was praised by supporters as a cultural icon and fearless defender of animals, while criticized for extremist views that overshadowed her later years. French President Emmanuel Macron called her “a legend,” marking the passing of one of France’s most influential and contentious public figures.
Source : Associated Press
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