French film icon Brigitte Bardot dies at 91

Brigitte Bardot, one of France’s most famous screen stars, has died aged 91, her foundation said in a statement cited by Agence France-Presse.

The statement gave no details on the time or place of her death.

Bardot rose to global fame as an actress and singer in the 1950s and 1960s, becoming a symbol of French cinema. She later quit acting to devote her life to animal rights, founding the Brigitte Bardot Foundation.

She remained a prominent public figure for decades through her activism, even after leaving the screen.