Once upon a time, she had the whole world wrapped around her finger.
Notable for being a sex symbol, as well as an activist for animal rights, Brigitte Bardot epitomized French beauty and glam throughout the 1960s.
In fact, Brigitte has fascinated the general public across many different generations, which has led to her image being borrowed and portrayed in various pop culture references.
Most recently, the 89-year-old activist was the subject of a six-part French drama series, which was headed for The American French Film Festival (TAFFF) later this month, before news of the festival’s cancellation.
Brigitte Bardot's youth was the subject of a docuseries, but her dark side has also come to light
Image credits: Foc Kan/Getty Images
Bardot, which is currently available in Europe on Netflix, was supposed to compete in TAFFF’s Best Series Award category.
The series takes place in the post-WWII era, in which a young Brigitte ignites a sexual revolution in France, only to struggle with her role in that and the cult of celebrity that surrounds her.
As Deadline reported, the series traces Brigitte’s life in the 1950s from her first audition aged 15 to her explosive international breakout film, And God Created Woman, to her performance in Henri-Georges Cluzot’s Truth in 1960.
The French actress rose to fame in the 1956 movie And God Created Woman
Image credits: IMAGO / ZUMA/Keystone
23-year-old French actress Julia de Nunez plays Brigitte, with Vincent Belmondo playing her first husband, writer/director Roger Vadim. Hippolyte Girardot and Géraldine Paihas also star.
Francois Truffaut, the executive producer and programmer at TAFFF, said: “This is the very first time that a film or series has been dedicated to the iconic French star Brigitte Bardot.
“There has been a tremendous amount of buzz about Bardot in France and we are delighted to be the first to present it on the big screen and in North America.”
Brigitte, who grew up in a privileged Catholic French family, wrote her grievances regarding Muslims in France
Image credits: Vatican Pool/Getty Images
Unfortunately, the “tremendous amount of buzz” the French cinema icon has sparked might not all be a positive occurrence.
It isn’t her unconventional marriages and open affairs that have propelled the three-times-married woman to a near infamous status in France, but rather her questionable ideologies.
Brigitte has been at the forefront of many controversial debates in France, making shocking statements about immigration, the LGBTQ+ community, and even spreading misogynistic views.
The actress-turned-animal activist was fined five times for inciting racial hatred
Image credits: AP archive
In fact, the Contempt actress has been fined several times by French authorities for inciting racial hatred.
As reported by the BBC in 2000, Brigitte was fined for a third time, 30,000 French francs ($4,842), after being convicted of inciting racial hatred.
She was found guilty in a Paris court over comments about the number of Muslim immigrants in her native France.
Brigitte was found guilty in a Paris court over her discriminatory comments
Image credits: INA Societe
In 2003, the St. Tropez resident published a book called Un Cri Dans Le Silence (a scream in the silence), in which she attacked Islam, the LGBTQ+ community, unemployed people, teachers and illegal immigrants, as she called for a return of the brutal death sentencing method, the guillotine.
Amongst many shocking statements, Brigitte called gay men “freaks” and wrote about her reservations regarding racial mixing, as well as the role of women in politics.
Her book resulted in another fine totaling €5,000 ($5,294), caused once again by her responsibility for inciting racial hatred in a book.
Her book, A Scream In The Silence, received a lot of backlash due to its prejudicial nature
Image credits: INA Societe
The ex-film star was fined for a fifth time by a Paris court with €15,000 ($23,400) for repeating the offense of inciting racial hatred by insulting Muslims.
In 2014, the European Jewish Congress (EJC) expressed outrage over the publication of a letter by Brigitte demanding that the French Government ban the Jewish method of slaughtering animals for meat known as the Shechita.
In the letter, the animal activist had referred to the Jewish traditional practice as a “ritual sacrifice”.
“Ms. Bardot’s depiction of Shechita as 'ritual sacrifice' is not only deeply offensive and a slur against the Jewish People, but also shows a stunning lack of knowledge in an area where she purports to be an expert,” Dr. Kantor, President of the EJC, said.
In her written work, the former actress took a dig at immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community
Brigitte has also received backlash for marrying Bernard d'Ormale, a former adviser to Jean-Marie Le Pen, the former leader of the far-right party National Front (which became National Rally), the main far-right party in France.
She has also expressed her support for Marine Le Pen, the current leader of the National Rally, as well as the daughter of Jean-Marie, in 2012 and 2017 during the French presidential elections.
Brigitte has supported the far-right French political party continuously
Despite using her fame for good, establishing the Brigitte Bardot Foundation to fight for the welfare of animals, and succeeding in various projects such as securing mass sterilizations and adoptions for stray dogs in Romania, the former actress has had problems consolidating her values with marginalized communities.
One of the most recent lawsuits against her was filed in 2019 after Brigitte had issued an open letter in which she accused inhabitants of an Indian Ocean island of animal cruelty and referred to them as "autochthones who have kept the genes of savages".
She retired from acting in the 1970s to focus on her activism
Image credits: MGM
Brigitte’s problematic present views are proof that not all cinema icons are meant to leave a sterling legacy.
According to France Today, the 27th TAFFF, which had been slated to take place at the Directors Guild in Los Angeles from October 18 to 22, has been canceled due to the writers' and actors' strikes.
The docuseries about Brigitte was meant to be screened at The American French Film Festival this month but was canceled due to the actors' strike
Image credits: Gilles BASSIGNAC/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images
While some people knew about Brigitte's questionable views, other fans were very shocked
Some fans, however, defended Brigitte's scandalous views
