French film legend Brigitte Bardot has been hospitalized in Toulon, France, with what local media describe as a “serious illness.” The 91-year-old star, who has been in hospital for three weeks, is said to have undergone surgery and remains under medical supervision.
Previously, Bardot was reportedly attended to by medics at her home in Saint-Tropez after experiencing respiratory issues during a 2023 heat wave. Her husband, Bernard d’Ormale, has not yet commented on her condition, nor whether the two instances are related.
The former actress and singer, often referred to by her initials B.B., was one of the world’s biggest stars in the 1950s and ‘60s, pushing the envelope in more ways than one. With a career starting at just 15 years old, Bardot became so much more than the 40-plus films and numerous songs she recorded; she was mythologized as a beauty icon, a symbol of France’s liberty, and a new post-war woman.
Yet despite admiration for her beauty, Bardot was mistreated throughout her career and struggled with deep unhappiness and alcoholism. Click through to learn more about Brigitte Bardot, the living legend carrying the burden of recent history’s contradictions regarding women, fame, and freedom.