Brigitte Bardot, the French actress who dazzled the world with her beauty and later devoted her life to animal welfare, died Sunday at 91.

The Brigitte Bardot Foundation announced the death of its founder and president “with immense sadness,” the Agence France-Presse reported. The foundation did not disclose when or where she died.

Bardot rose to international fame in 1956 with her role in “And God Created Woman,” a film that projected female sexuality on screen in ways rarely seen before. She appeared in about 50 films and became one of the most recognizable faces of post-war French cinema.

The Paris-born star grew up in a conservative Catholic household and trained as a ballet dancer at the Conservatoire de Paris. She began modeling as a teenager, landing the cover of Elle at 15. Early film roles followed, along with her marriage to director Roger Vadim. (RELATED: Brigitte Bardot, Iconic Sex Symbol From The 50s, Reportedly Hospitalized With Serious Illness)

🇫🇷 French film icon Brigitte Bardot, a symbol of sexual liberation of the 1950s and sixties who turned her back on cinema to devote herself to protecting animals, has died aged 91, her foundation said Sunday.
➡️ https://t.co/75FylO5COu pic.twitter.com/MlFfkO7Wkm

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) December 28, 2025

In the early 1970s, Bardot quit acting at the height of her fame. She turned her attention to animal protection and founded her namesake organization.

The foundation described her as “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.”

Despite being hailed by some as a trailblazer for women in cinema, Bardot dismissed complaints about sexual harassment in the film industry.

“I thought it was nice to be told that I was beautiful or that I had a pretty little a**,” she said. “This kind of compliment is nice.”

Her later years drew controversy for political statements that resulted in multiple court convictions.