Brigitte Bardot Dispels Death Rumors, Insists She Has “No intention of Taking My Leave”
Iconicโ French actress and model Brigitte Bardot has publicly refuted recent online rumors claiming she had died. The 89-year-old posted a statement confirming she is alive and well, addingโ sheโข has “no intention of taking my leave.” The clarification came after a โคwaveโข of false reports spread online, prompting concern from fans and media outlets.
Bardot, who retired from acting inโค 1973 to dedicate herself to animal rights activism, has largely remained out of the public eye โคin โrecent years. The recent surge in attention wasโข initially sparked by reports of a health scare following a โrecent โhospitalization.Last week, Bardot returned to her home in โSaint-Tropez, France, afterโฃ spending three weeks in the โขhospital for minor surgery and a “serious illness,” according to her press office. Prior to the โfalse death reports, she shared a handwrittenโค note celebrating her birthday.
This isn’t the โคfirst time Bardot’s health has been the subject of public โขdiscussion. In 2023, โemergency services were called to her home after she experienced breathing problems. Updates regarding her well-being have been infrequent,contributing to the rapid โspread of โmisinformation.
Throughout her post-acting life, Bardot has occasionally made headlines for controversialโ public statements regarding immigration, Muslims, and the #MeToo movement, โand has faced legal repercussions โ- including sixโ fines from French courts for “inciting โขracial hatred” – for her writings.
A documentary about Bardot, Bardot, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. director Alainโฃ Berliner told Variety that Bardot “insists very much that she likes men, and she’s not against them,”โ and “does not want to be considered a feminist, even though she โคhas lived like one,” characterizing her as a “free-thinker.”
