Actor, icon, controversial activist – DW – 12/28/2025
An icon of French cinema and one of the country's most famous stars, Brigitte Bardot has died at the age of 91.
Often referred to simply by her initials, BB was considered both a feminist and a femme fatale — but controversy also became a recurring theme of her life.
Born the daughter of an industrialist in Paris on September 28, 1934, Brigitte Bardot was discovered as a model at the age of 15. She became even more sought-after once she had dyed her brunette hair blonde, making her one of the most famous "blondes" of the 20th century, not unlike Marilyn Monroe.
Well into the 21st century, fashion magazines celebrated "BB blonde" as the perfect shade of blonde.
Bardot, pictured here in 1965, was an icon of 1960s French cinemaImage: AFP
An icon of sexual liberation
Bardot started appe...