French actress Brigitte Bardot has died. She was 91. The Brigitte Bardot Foundation announced this on Sunday, writes the news agency AFP.
Bardot had her international breakthrough at the age of 22 with the film "God Created Woman", which was directed by her then husband, Roger Vadim.
This was followed by a long series of films - including Louis Malle's "Privatliv" and "Viva Maria!" and Godard's "I loved you yesterday".
Despite her international success, she put her acting career on the shelf at the age of 39. She herself has said that up until her exit, she had a major alcohol abuse problem and that she needed to withdraw from the spotlight.
Brigitte Bardot became a passionate animal rights activist and fought for the animal rights cause until her old age.
Among other things, she delved into the case of the American environmental activist Paul Watson, who was arrested by Danish police in Greenland last year.
Japanese authorities accused Watson of assaulting Japanese whalers in Antarctica in 2010 and obstructing their work while they were at sea to catch and kill whales.
Watson himself pleaded not guilty, and Bardot contacted Denmark's Ministry of Justice, which was to decide whether Watson could be extradited.
Watson ended up being released and leaving Greenland.
Among Bardot's key issues was her opposition to the use of fur and skin in the fashion industry, and she has particularly fought against the killing of seals.
In addition to the animal welfare case, Brigitte Bardot has made a name for herself with statements critical of immigration, which have cost her several convictions in her home country, France.
