00:00French actress Brigitte Bardot, one of the world's biggest stars of cinema, has died at the age of 91.
00:08In a statement, the Brigitte Bardot Foundation announced her death on Sunday with immense sadness,
00:15describing her as a world-renowned actress and singer who chose to abandon her prestigious career
00:22to dedicate her life and energy to animal welfare and her foundation.
00:28Bardot had been in hospital in the southern French city of Toulon since November.
00:34Known for her enormous impact on the silver screen in the 1950s,
00:38Bibi, as she is widely called in France, was an essential ingredient in French culture
00:44and soon became an icon after her first role in Le Trou Normand in 1952.
00:52Reacting to the news of her death, French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute
00:57to the late actress on X, saying her films, her voice, her dazzling fame
01:02and her generous passion for animals embodied a life of freedom.
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