Brigitte Bardot, the eternal icon of French cinema, passes away at 91

Brigitte Bardot, one of the most defining and contradictory icons of the 20th century, has died at 91. Her death closes the final chapter on a life that profoundly shaped cinema, fashion and popular culture far beyond the screen. The news was confirmed Sunday by the foundation that bears her name, which did not specify the exact place or date of her death.

Iconic actress, muse to directors and photographers, occasional singer and tireless animal rights activist, Bardot was much more than a star: she was a symbol of freedom. Starring in such classics as "And God Created Woman" and "Contempt," she appeared in nearly 50 films and redefined the female image in the France of the 1950s and 1960s, breaking moral, aesthetic and social molds.

Her style, simple, sensual, natural, left an indelible mark. With it she also built the legend of Saint-Tropez, transforming the small Mediterranean port into an emblem of international glamour, and spread her magnetism as far away as Búzios, in Brazil.

"It is with immense sadness that the Brigitte Bardot Foundation announces the death of its founder and president," stated the official press release. The news was first reported exclusively by AFP. With her passes a woman who never ceased to be true to herself, even when her words caused discomfort.

The French Marilyn

Before the controversies, there was the myth. "BB" was, for millions, the embodiment of an emancipated woman, one who defied convention and owned her desire. Celebrated in Brazilian sambas, photographed relentlessly by paparazzi, and repeatedly compared to Marilyn Monroe, Bardot assumed global fascination without imitating anyone.

Although the two met in 1956, Bardot chose another destiny. In a gesture as radical as it was coherent with her character, she left the cinema in the mid-70s, before turning 40, leaving behind a brilliant career and scenes that are already part of the history of the seventh art.

From fame to silence

Born in 1934 in a bourgeois family, Brigitte Bardot first dreamed of dancing and modeling. Her leap to stardom came alongside Roger Vadim, her first husband, who directed her in "And God Created Woman." The success was immediate and overwhelming.

Her personal life, marked by marriages, intense love affairs and a painful relationship with motherhood, was mercilessly exposed by the press. But in time, Bardot chose retirement and silence.

The animal cause, her last great fight

In her second life, away from the spotlight, Bardot found a cause that gave her meaning: the defense of animals. From a seemingly small gesture, rescuing a goat during a shoot, to international campaigns against seal hunting, bullfighting or animal abuse, her commitment was absolute.

Settled between La Madrague and La Garrigue, in the south of France, she lived surrounded by animals and nature, managing the foundation she created in 1986. In one of her last interviews she confessed that she longed for peace and led a simple life, "like a farmer," without a cell phone or computer.

Brigitte Bardot left as she lived: free, indomitable and deeply faithful to her convictions. With her death, cinema bids farewell to an icon; the world, to a woman who never accepted being just a legend.