Iconic French actress and animal rights campaigner, Brigitte Bardot passed away from a serious illness on December 28 at the age of 91, leaving behind a massive estate.
After leaving her acting life, Bardot’s life was animal activism, including efforts against bullfighting, factory farming, seal hunting and other animal exploitation. The French actress left behind a significant fortune, to the tune of some €65 million ($76 million), including multiple properties in Paris, Cannes and Saint-Tropez. Her estate also consisted of income from film royalties, residual earnings from her film career and image rights.
Bardot’s estate in France had been intended mainly to fund her Fondation Brigitte Bardot, but is now at the heart of a legal dispute between her son, Nicolas-Jacques Charrier, and her foundation, which she established in 1986 to support animal welfare.
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The actress was widely known as BB, a nickname inspired by her initials, and also the French word, “bébé.” During her lifetime, Bardot donated properties and assets to the foundation, including her famous Saint-Tropez estate, La Madrague, where she retained the right to live until her passing. Due to her careful estate planning, which reflected her long-standing commitment to animal welfare, French inheritance law is causing problems.
The actress’s estate includes a mix of valuable jewelry, real estate, intellectual property and cash assets. It includes Saint-Tropez home, La Garrigue, a Cannes villa worth some €6 million, and several apartments in Paris. Over decades, Bardot attracted substantial income from films, endorsements, and royalties, making her one of the most financially successful actresses in France.
Bardot’s foundation received significant funding through auctions of her jewelry, sales of personal items and donations, allowing it to run animal rescue programs, offer veterinary care, and to campaign against animal cruelty. Her activism for animals reflected both her personal passion and lasting legacy beyond her cinema days.
As noted by People, the problem comes as French civil law imposes a “réserve héréditaire,” (reserved portion of the estate) which guarantees that children receive a reserved portion of the parent’s estate. Nicolas-Jacques Charrier is BB’s sole legal heir and is automatically entitled to 50 percent of the residual estate, regardless of any personal wishes on favoring her foundation.
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Meanwhile, assets that have already been transferred to her foundation, such as La Madrague, are protected from legal reclamation. However, the division of the remaining properties and other funds must now be clarified through the courts. According to legal experts, this process could take months or even years, due to the complications of lifetime transfers and mix of philanthropic and personal assets involved in her estate.
Relations with her son, Nicolas-Jacques have been complicated for a long time. Bardot mentioned in her 1996 memoire that her pregnancy with her son was “like a tumor that had fed on me.” This led to legal action from her son and his father, due to invasion of privacy. At that time, courts did eventually award modest damages to her son and his father, which goes to highlight the depth of the personal rift between them and Bardot.
Meanwhile, the Fondation Brigitte Bardot has long been the French actress’s principal vehicle for her philanthropic work. To this day, it runs campaigns against animal cruelty, operates veterinary and rescue programs, and supports wildlife protection initiatives. During her lifetime, Bardot donated significant financial assets and properties to the foundation, to ensure that her mission would continue after her passing.
However, while the foundation’s assets are mostly protected, other portions of the estate are subject to division, meaning it will balance statutory inheritance rights with Bardot’s philanthropic intentions.
Under French inheritance law, Nicholas-Jacques is legally entitled to 50 percent of the residual estate, regardless of his mother’s wishes. However, the balance must remain to continue funding her animal protection campaigns for years to come.
Among Brigitte Bardot’s movies were And God Created Woman (1956), The Truth (1960), Contempt (1963), The Legend of Frenchie King (1971), and Rum Runners (1971). She was also a singer and model.
