At 83 years old, Brigitte Bardot has openly admitted to suffering from chronic misanthropy, stating that she harbors a much deeper love for animals than for humans. In her view, people are nothing more than “arrogant and bloodthirsty creatures who bring harm to others.”
Bardot has also expressed her disdain for the film industry, revealing that she never held cinema in high regard. She reminded the public that she left her acting career behind in 1973, at the age of 38, to dedicate herself entirely to animal rights activism—a decision she has never regretted. “I never liked cinema. It’s a world full of pretense, where everything is shallow, frivolous, and fake, from the sets and situations to the emotions. The same applies to most people in this business. They do nothing but admire themselves, each one convinced they are the center of the universe,” she observed.
Her love for animals, she explained, has been with her since childhood, ever since she first watched the animated film Snow White. That movie ignited a lifelong dream—to live alone in a small house, surrounded by animals. She even admitted that she perceives herself as more of an animal than a human and has completely rejected people, claiming that the only emotions humanity evokes in her are horror and pity.
“Animals gave my life meaning and allowed me to grow old with dignity, without obsessing over wrinkles or physical decline. My animals see that I am old, and they couldn’t care less,” Bardot stated. She concluded by saying that abandoning everything to dedicate herself to animals was the best and wisest decision she ever made—one that quite literally saved her life. Without them, she confessed, she might have taken her own.
Brigitte Bardot was born in Paris and made her film debut in 1952. She rose to worldwide fame after starring in And God Created Woman (1956). Before retiring from acting, she appeared in nearly 50 films and recorded dozens of songs.
Throughout her life, she was romantically linked to several high-profile figures, including director Roger Vadim, actor Jean-Louis Trintignant, musician Serge Gainsbourg, and her former husbands Jacques Charrier, Sasha Distel, and Bob Zagury.
