BRIGITTE BARDOT’S ANIMAL ACTIVISM CAPSTONE
“I gave my beauty and my youth to men, and now I am giving my wisdom and experience, the best of me, to animals.”
“I don’t care if people remember me. I want them to remember that animals deserve respect.”
— Brigitte Bardot
INTRODUCTION: FROM BOMBSHELL TO ACTIVIST
Written in Les Parcs du St Tropez
Collating the descriptions of Brigitte Bardot (known worldwide as B.B.) reveals how the world accentuated certain traits, like a French locomotive gaining unstoppable momentum:
‘Pert confidence and youthful sexual magnetism’; ‘a bourgeois girl’; ‘the living nymph of French cinema’; ‘known for her breathtaking looks’; ‘sex kitten’; mythologised as one of the greatest It Girls of the century’; ‘the most imitated film star in history’; ‘global sex symbol’; ‘those pillowy lips, the voluminous blonde mane, and that arresting wide-eyed stare’...
These descriptions often reduced her to a symbol of beauty and sensuality, overshadowing the complexity beneath the surface. Don’t get me wrong — B.B. certainly fuelled the fame herself, but there was far more beneath the myth.
However, in the process of becoming an international icon, a cage was built leading to personal struggles, including attempted suicides, failed marriages, and public criticism. Bardot ultimately rejected the trappings of fame and pivoted toward her Capstone: animal activism.
As you shall see below, B.B. is certainly the Muse of St Tropez and St Tropez is B.B.’s sanctuary. Her impact on the once sleepy fishing village in the Côte d’Azur is undeniable. However, all is not just glamour, sunshine, and carefree lifestyle — B.B.’s outspoken views on controversial topics have led to public criticism and rejection. It’s a complex, and for many, divisive journey—from glamour and allure to dedication to solitude.
CORNERSTONE PHASE: THE MAKING OF AN ICON
Bardot’s early life shaped the foundations of her public persona. Born into an upper-middle-class Parisian family, her upbringing was strict, guided by her industrialist father who demanded conservative behaviour and table manners. It meant for B.B., her upbringing was somewhat defined by resentment.
“My parents gave me a strict upbringing, which at times has caused me to suffer distress but today I am grateful to them for it.”
Her first brush with fame came at 15, gracing the cover of Elle magazine. Ballet training at the National Superior Conservatory of Paris honed her discipline for the stage and screen.
KEYSTONE PHASE: MAKING HER DENT ON THE WORLD
Bardot’s defining moment came with the 1956 film And God Created Woman, where she played a provocative young woman disrupting a conservative town. The role, and the film’s sensuality, embodied the sexual liberation emerging in post-war culture.
Her style — the Bardot Pose, Neckline, Bouffant, and the BB Cat Eye — remains influential. Icons like Yves Saint Laurent and Alain Delon counted her as muse.
As Bardot’s fame grew, so did Saint-Tropez’s transformation from sleepy village to glamorous hotspot. Her home, La Madrague, became a refuge amid the paparazzi frenzy.
Despite the glamour, Bardot’s defining feeling throughout this phase of life was the struggle with the dark side of fame:
“My life was totally turned upside down. I was followed, spied upon, adored, insulted. My private life became public.”
Struggling under pressure, Bardot attempted suicide on her 26th birthday. By 1973, before the age of 40, she had starred in 47 films and released over 60 songs. Disillusioned, she chose to step back “as a way to get out elegantly.”
Photo credit: Jicky Dussart
CAPSTONE PHASE: ANIMAL ACTIVISM AS LIFE’S WORK
In 1962, Bardot witnessed the brutal reality of slaughterhouses — a moment that shocked her deeply and set the course for her activism:
“I was horrified by the sight of animals suffering. It changed my life. I had to speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves.”
Throughout the ’60s and ’70s, Bardot leveraged her fame to raise awareness, campaigning against bullfighting, fur trade, and more. In 1986, she founded the Brigitte Bardot Foundation to formalize these efforts, coordinate campaigns, and engage politically.
Since then, Bardot has embraced a reclusive life focused on activism, using her celebrity as a platform from which to speak loudly for animal welfare despite frequent media scrutiny and backlash.
“It was like being hunted every day. There was no privacy, no escape.”
In interviews and writings, Bardot has likened her life under public scrutiny to being caged, drawing a powerful parallel between her own loss of freedom and the suffering of animals.
“I have chosen loneliness to defend myself. I protect myself from humanity around me, from this loud and intrusive humanity. I live surrounded by animals, trees, flowers… I don’t even know how many there are. I feel much closer to nature and animals than humans. I confess I hate most of the human species.”
Her home near Les Parcs de St Tropez looking out onto the Baie des Canabiers is surrounded by her nearly 50 pets, whilst she lives with her preference for solitude.
Image: FondationBrigitteBardot.fr
IMPACT AND LEGACY
Bardot’s activism contributed to landmark progress, including:
The Council of Europe banning seal fur imports
The French government banning ivory imports
Thousands of rescue operations from abuse and trafficking
The Brigitte Bardot Foundation, declared of public utility in 1992, now counts over 75,000 members worldwide and continues campaigning globally
NO SHORTAGE OF CONTROVERSY
Behind the glamour lay personal struggles — suicide attempts, turbulent marriages, and harsh public criticism. Bardot’s candidness extends to politics, where she’s faced fines for remarks on Islam and immigration, adding complexity to her public image.
“I am shocking, impertinent and insolent — that’s how it is.”
Her unapologetic voice remains a defining feature, even as it divides opinion.
SUMMARY
Brigitte Bardot’s Capstone is a testament to transformation and purpose. Having conquered the world with beauty and fame, she now fights relentlessly for animal rights.
Her journey is complex, remarkable, and somewhat somber — from objectification to activism, global icon to controversial, but overall now guardian of voiceless animals we share this earth with.
“I can no longer walk. I can no longer swim. But I'm lucky when I see how animals suffer. Suddenly, I discover that I have nothing to complain.”
Discover more
