Brigitte Bardot Foundation Warns Against Counterfeit Memorabilia

Warning from the Brigitte Bardot Foundation

The Brigitte Bardot Foundation has issued a warning regarding "counterfeit" products claiming to support the charitable activities of the organization following the death of the French actress. The Foundation stated that it is aware of "crude fabrications" being promoted online, alongside claims that the proceeds would go to the animal protection charity.

The organization has threatened legal action against those participating in "these illegal fundraising activities," demanding respect for the memory of the deceased. Bardot passed away at the age of 91 last Sunday. After revolutionizing French cinema in the 1950s and becoming a symbol of sexual liberation, she abandoned her acting career to devote her life to animals.

Although an iconic figure, Bardot generated controversy in her later life due to statements regarding Muslims, LGBTQ individuals, and the #MeToo movement, having been fined multiple times for inciting racial hatred. Her death sparked tributes across France, with President Emmanuel Macron stating that the nation mourns a "legend of the century."

The Foundation also warned about the spread of online and social media offers selling photographs, artificial intelligence-generated montages, and various media reproducing her image, including in "fabricated situations." "These are crude fabrications and illegal offers that have never received approval from the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, which cannot tolerate these scams," the statement made on Saturday read.

Brigitte Bardot starred in nearly 50 films, including "And God Created Woman" and "Contempt," setting fashion trends with her blonde hair and bold eyeliner before becoming a model for Marianne, the humanized symbol of France. She retired from her acting career in 1973 at the age of 39, stating: "I have given my youth and beauty to men; now I give my wisdom and experience to animals." Her animal rights foundation was established 13 years later.

Her burial will take place on Wednesday in Saint-Tropez, southern France, where she lived for decades, in a cemetery overlooking her house and the Mediterranean. The Brigitte Bardot Foundation told the AFP news agency that the private burial will be "unfussy" and "without fuss," in accordance with her spirit.