The Brigitte Bardot Foundation announced on Sunday the death of the French actor Brigitte Bardot at the age of 91.
In a statement seen by French media, she was described as a "world-renowned actress and singer."
Bardot, who died on Sunday at the age of 91, leaves behind a colossal cultural legacy, that of a media icon and global star. She died at dawn at La Madrague, her famous residence in Saint-Tropez (Var), where she lived with Bernard d’Ormale, her fourth husband.
"The Brigitte Bardot foundation announces with immense sadness the death 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," it said in a statement sent to Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Sunday, without specifying the time or place of death.
Bardot rose to international fame in the 1950s and 1960s, becoming one of France's most recognizable cultural figures.
She starred in dozens of films and was widely regarded as a symbol of French cinema and style.
At the height of her popularity, she was known not only for her acting career but also for her influence on fashion and popular culture worldwide.
In the early 1970s, Bardot retired from acting, later devoting herself almost entirely to animal rights activism.
She founded the Brigitte Bardot Foundation in 1986, which campaigns against animal cruelty and supports animal protection initiatives around the world.
The French film icon will be buried "in utter simplicity and destitution," the ICI journalist reported on Monday on Franceinfo.
