Brigitte Bardot, the iconic French actress and animal rights activist later known for her far-right views, has died at the age of 91:
French film legend Brigitte Bardot has died at the age of 91 at her home in southern France, her foundation said on Sunday, as tributes poured in from politicians and stars alike.
The Brigitte Bardot Foundation said in a statement, “The Brigitte Bardot Foundation announces with immense sadness the passing of its founder and president, Madame Brigitte Bardot, a world-renowned actress and singer, who chose to abandon her prestigious career to dedicate her life and energy to animal welfare and her foundation,” PA news agency reported.
The statement added: “The Brigitte Bardot Foundation wishes to pay tribute to the memory of an exceptional woman who gave up everything for a world more respectful of animals.
“Her legacy remains, living through the actions and battles that the foundation pursues with the same passion and the same loyalty to her ideals.”
Bardot was known worldwide as one of the most famous women in post-war cinema.
Known widely as BB because of her initials, pronounced bebe, the French word for baby, Bardot starred in dozens of movies, with "Et Dieu Crea La Femme" ("And God Created Woman") often seen as the film that propelled her to worldwide fame.
She played an 18-year-old orphan who turns men's heads in a film shot in the mid-1950s which pushed the boundaries in terms of acceptable sexuality on camera at the time.
Bardot also featured in major French films including Jean-Luc Godard's "Contempt" (1963), Louis Malle's "The Private Life of a Woman" (1962) and Henri-Georges Clouzot's "The Truth" (1960).
She starred in some 45 films including "A Woman Like Satan" (1959) and "With the Weapons of a Woman" (1958).
At the height of her career in 1973/74, she stepped away from the world of film. She was tired of the hype, she said. "I hate people. I find my balance in nature, in the company of animals."...
Unfortunately, that hatred of people was directed at certain groups:
In 1992, she married a friend and advisor to Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of the far-right party Front National, now known as RN, which stands for Rassemblement National.
Bardot made no secret of her far-right views and later in life made headlines mainly for her misanthropic statements against gay people, French leftists, homeless people and illegal immigrants.
It's somewhat of a conundrum that her love and commitment to animal rights didn't extend to all people. A complicated legacy.
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