PETA, Politicians Mourn Brigitte Bardot

European governments, colleagues, and animal protection organizations led the mourning for French film star Brigitte Bardot, who died Sunday at 91, along with likeminded politicians. "Brigitte Bardot embodied a life of freedom," French President Emmanuel Macron posted on X, without mentioning the far-right views Bardot adopted after her acting career; she was convicted five times on hate speech charges, per Le Monde, mostly concerning Muslims. She became dedicated to animal welfare in her retirement, launching her own foundation. "I gave my beauty and my youth to men," she said then, per the New York Times, "and now I am giving my wisdom and experience, the best of me, to animals."

• "She had a courage that men still don't reference, and if she cared so deeply about animals ... it's probably because she had been disappointed by men—all men—and I understand that. We are relatively disappointing."—French actor Pierre Arditi
• "A tireless defender of animal rights, she is a legend who helped shape our imaginations, without ever allowing herself to be confined by them. Wildly free and so French after all."—French Culture Minister Rachida Dati
• "From her rescued pigeons in Saint-Tropez to her beloved dogs, PETA will miss Brigitte, an angel for animals who went to bat and to court to protect them all."—PETA cofounder Ingrid Newkirk

• "That she resolutely defended her vision of cultural and social values, and civic engagement, deserves attention and great respect. We want to remember her in this way, in her true beauty."—Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli, per Reuters
• "A passionate patriot and a lover of animals that she protected throughout her life, she alone embodied an entire era of French history, and above all a certain idea of courage and freedom."—French far-right politician Jordan Bardella

• "Through her presence, her personality, and her aura, she left her mark on the history of our town and helped to make Saint-Tropez shine across the world. Brigitte Bardot now belongs to the collective memory of Saint-Tropez, which we must preserve."—the city of Saint-Tropez, where Bardot lived
• "We were begging on the streets of Saint-Tropez. She would come with us to our private gigs and small parties, she would put on a skirt and a wig and begin to dance, and the people would say, 'Incredible, that dancer looks like Brigitte Bardot!'"—musician Chico Bouchikhi, cofounder of the Gipsy Kings