French film legend Brigitte Bardot, a cinema icon of the 1950s and sixties who walked away from global stardom to become an animal rights protector, has died aged 91, her foundation said on Sunday.
Bardot had rarely been seen in public in recent months but was hospitalised in October and in November released a statement denying rumours that she had died.
The foundation did not say when or where she died.
“The Brigitte Bardot Foundation announces with immense sadness the death of its founder and president, Madame Brigitte Bardot, a world-renowned actress and singer, who chose to abandon her prestigious career to dedicate her life and energy to animal welfare and her foundation,” it said in a statement.
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Bardot became a global star after appearing in And God Created Woman in 1956, and went on to appear in about 50 more movies before giving up acting.
She retired from film to settle permanently near the Riviera resort of Saint-Tropez, where she devoted herself to fighting for animals.
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