A Life in the Spotlight
Brigitte Bardot, often referred to as the French Marilyn Monroe, was not only a cinematic icon but also a highly polarizing figure in French politics. While she rose to fame for her allure and talent on the silver screen, Bardot became equally known for channeling her influence toward supporting far-right politics in France for over three decades.
Political Allegiances and Public Commentary
Until her death, Bardot openly expressed support for Marine Le Pen and the anti-immigration National Rally party, praising their rising influence in the lead-up to the 2027 presidential elections. Despite retiring from cinema to focus on animal rights—a cause she described as her primary mission—her political opinions on immigration and France’s future sparked controversy for many years.
Polls indicate that Le Pen’s party is closer than ever to gaining significant political power, ensuring that Bardot’s far-right affiliations remain a notable aspect of her legacy.
Controversy and Legal Issues
Bardot’s public statements often provoked outrage. She was convicted five times for inciting racial hatred, primarily for remarks targeting Muslims and other immigrant communities. She also made inflammatory comments about the people of Réunion, whom she controversially described as “savages.”
In her last book, Mon BBcédaire (My BB Alphabet), published just weeks before her passing, Bardot described the right as the “only urgent remedy to the agony of France,” lamenting that the country had become “dull, sad, submissive, ill, ruined, ravaged, ordinary and vulgar.”
Longstanding Support for the Le Pen Family
From the 1990s onward, Bardot aligned herself with Jean-Marie Le Pen’s Front National before backing his daughter, Marine Le Pen, after she rebranded the party as the National Rally (RN). Bardot’s personal connections with the family deepened when she met her husband, Bernard d’Ormale—a former adviser to Jean-Marie Le Pen—at a dinner in Saint-Tropez. The couple married in 1993 and remained together until her death.
Bardot frequently praised Marine Le Pen, stating she was “the only woman … who has balls,” and supported her presidential campaigns in 2012 and 2017. She particularly commended Le Pen’s stance on issues such as the presence of halal meat in France. In return, Le Pen cited Bardot—whose image had inspired Marianne, the symbol of the French Republic—as the epitome of French identity.
Cultural Influence and Public Debates
Bardot’s legacy extended beyond politics into French culture. In 2016, during a national debate over banning burkinis on beaches, Le Pen remarked that French beaches belonged to Bardot, recalling her iconic bikini photos on the Cannes coastline. Following recent parliamentary elections, Bardot praised RN president Jordan Bardella as “very good,” with Bardella later honoring her as an “ardent patriot.”
Animal Rights Advocacy
Though firmly aligned with right-wing politics, Bardot dedicated herself to animal rights, meeting French presidents from Charles de Gaulle to Emmanuel Macron to advocate against seal fur importation, elephant poaching, and hunting. She was willing to collaborate across the political spectrum if it advanced animal welfare, once praising left-wing politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon for his vegetarianism.
In 2013, she threatened to leave France for Russia if two elephants at Lyon Zoo were euthanized, a stance she later revised after initially praising and then criticizing Vladimir Putin following the Ukraine invasion.
Controversial Views in Later Life
Bardot remained outspoken on social issues, notably criticizing the #MeToo movement. In 2025, she defended actor Gérard Depardieu before his conviction for sexual assault, dismissing accusations against him as inconsequential for “talented people who grab a girl’s bottom.” She also declared in her final TV interview that feminism was not for her, stating firmly, “No!” when asked whether one could be both a feminist and appreciate men.
A Complex Legacy
Brigitte Bardot’s life was marked by extremes: a celebrated film career, passionate animal activism, and polarizing political and social views. Her public persona, intertwined with both admiration and controversy, ensures she will be remembered as one of France’s most iconic yet contentious figures.
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