10 shocking facts about Brigitte Bardot
These ten shocking facts about French New Wave actress Brigitte Bardot will make you choke on your wine.
The other day I watched (what I thought would be) a light-hearted documentary on the life of the actress Brigitte Bardot. But rather than enjoy the glamorous life of my favourite French actress, I was subjected to pure torture.
From start to finish, the 2014 documentary revealed tragic moment after tragic moment. Each one was so shocking that it made me choke on my Cabarnet Sauvignon.
So put down your drink for a second because I am about to tell you 10 shocking things about the French actress Brigitte Bardot, and it may make you choke.
1. Her parents disowned her for breaking a lamp.
When I broke something as a little girl, I would get shouted at, given a light slap and was sent to my room. And that terrified me. I can’t imagine how Brigitte felt when her mother got a little extra and disowned her. Which is a bit like throwing a TV out of the window because you hate Coronation Street.
2. She lost her virginity to Roger Vadim. They met when she was 14... and he was 22.
If you think that’s a bit Lolita, just wait till you hear what her parents thought about it…
3. When Vadim proposed, her father threatened him with a gun.
A bit of a hasty reaction. But Brigitte’s was even hastier. After the incident, she stuck her head in a gas oven and almost died. Her father then agreed to let them get married, but not until she was 18.
4. On her first big movie, she had an affair.
Vadim did eventually marry her. But I guess no one told young Brigitte the rules. On the set of one of her first movies (and Vadim’s first movie as director), she fell in love with the leading man and began an affair.
5. She had a child, but she didn't want it.
A devil woman! Many slated her for having no maternal instincts and leaving the baby to the father. But c’est la vie. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Like going on X-Factor. She tried to reach out to her son later in life, but he refused.
6. She was attacked for getting naked.
Life must have been really scary for the Brigitte. She was constantly receiving death threats and was often attacked by members of the public who hated her for her “sexy” roles. Imagine their reaction to a Rhianna music video!
7. She was drugged by her director.
The director of La Vérité took was really harsh on set. To get the best out of Brigitte he tormented her to make her seem desperate and slipped her a sleeping pill to make her look drowsy. Although I think La Vérité is one of her best movies, slipping a girl a sleeping pill is not ok.
8. She almost died.
After being drugged and the attacks, you can imagine how unsafe and unhappy Brigitte felt. Her life had become chaos. She attempted suicide, shortly after filming La Vérité, by slashing her wrists AND overdosing on pills. She survived but her attempt only gained more attention from the paparazzi.
9. Hollywood called, she said non.
After she recovered and accepted her celebrity, she continued making movies including some French New Wave. You can find my list of favourite Brigitte Bardot movies here.
Hollywood wanted her more than I want an original 1960s Chanel suit but she refused to film in America. Eventually, they agreed to her terms and filmed a cameo for a movie called Dear Brigitte.
10. She retired at 39 & dedicated the rest of her life to helping animals.
Retiring that young sounds like a dream, but maybe without the animals. Bardot now loves animals so much that she prefers them over people.
When I finished watching the documentary, I felt a bit lighter, and it wasn’t because I drank a lot of wine (although it helped).
This Brigitte Bardot documentary reminded me that no one’s life is like Fergie’s ‘Glamorous’ video.
We all have our challenges, dislikes and heartaches that we have to deal with. And we all have our Facetuned moments that we love to share.
This list is a reminder that we shouldn’t compare our lives with anyone else’s because we never know the full story. And not everyone will have a documentary made about them to reveal the bad parts.
So, which fact shocked you the most? Do you feel like the grass is always greener? Tell me in the comments below!
P.S. If you ever feel like someone else’s grass is a little greener than yours, reread this list for perspective.
Or please share this article with a friend who is being a bit negative today.
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5 Comments
Hello,
Thank you for this information. I love to study Brigitte Bardot . I think she is amazing.
Brigitte Bardot is an extraordinarily beautiful woman who has a likewise beautiful soul. She is the essence of beauty to me.
She is one of a kind!
Bridget Bardot was beautiful and sexy , she gave so much , thanks Bridget!!!!!
most beautiful sexy woman ever!!!