Source: Entertainment Weekly

Reports of Brigitte Bardot’s death have been greatly exaggerated — and the French actress isn’t happy about it.

The 91-year-old former movie star, who became an international icon in the ’50s, recently took to social media to dispel rumors of her death while calling out the spread of misinformation.

“I don’t know which idiot launched this fake news tonight about my disappearance, but rest assured that I’m doing well,” Bardot wrote in French, in a Wednesday X post. “And have no intention of taking my leave. A word to the wise.”

Representatives for Bardot did not immediately respond to Entertainment Weekly’s request for comment.

The statement from the Viva Maria actress comes a week after French newspaper Var-matin reported that Bardot recently received three weeks of hospital treatment and underwent surgery “as part of a serious illness.” The nature of the illness was not disclosed.

Although sources told the outlet that Bardot’s condition was “worrying,” her office subsequently assured French news agency AFP (via Reuters) that she had returned home to recover after undergoing a “minor surgery.”

Days later, the Aquababe celebrity gossip account run by influencer Aniss Zitouni claimed to have “exclusive information” about Bardot’s alleged death.

“Her coffin was ordered in Saint-Paul-de-Jarrat in the 09 (Ariège) department,” read a now-deleted post from Zitouni, according to the Daily Mail. “An icon has passed away, leaving behind an unforgettable legacy and an eternal imprint on the hearts of the French.”

Bardot’s efforts to dispel the death hoax marks a rare public statement from the actress, who retired in 1973. Prior to her latest health scare, Bardot was treated for respiratory problems in 2023 after struggling to breathe due to the heat. At the time, her husband Bernard d’Ormale dismissed serious concern, telling Var-matin that Bardot had experienced “a moment of respiratory distraction” that makes sense, given her age.

“Like all people of a certain age, she can no longer bear the heat,” he said. “It happens at 88 years old. She must not [over-exert herself].”

Bardot began her career in 1952 and quickly gained recognition for roles in Roger Vadim’s And God Created Woman, Jean-Luc Godard’s Le Mépris, and more. She rose to international fame as a fashion icon and achieved sex symbol status. In her later years, she became known as an outspoken activist for animal rights and for voicing strong, controversial opinions — such as denouncing the #MeToo movement in 2018.

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.

Most recently, the actress served as the subject of Alain Berliner’s Bardot, a documentary about her that made its debut at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The intimate look at her life and career is narrated by Bardot herself, whom Berliner described to Variety as “a very mysterious person” despite her fame.

The filmmaker went on to discuss her controversial ideals, adding, “She insists very much that she likes men, and she’s not against them. She does not want to be considered a feminist, even though she has lived like one. And I think that’s proof of the fact that Bardot is a free-thinker.”

Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.