Brigitte Bardot’s Cause of Death Revealed After Her Death at Age 91

Bardot’s husband, Bernard d’Ormale, revealed the actress had undergone two surgeries following a cancer diagnosis before her death on Dec. 28

French actress and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot leaves the Élysée Palace in Paris on September 27, 2007, after a meeting with President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Brigitte Bardot.Credit : ERIC FEFERBERG/AFP via Getty

 

Brigitte Bardot had been diagnosed with cancer before her death last month, her husband, Bernard d’Ormale, has revealed.

Bardot died peacefully at age 91 on Dec. 28 at La Madrague — her home in Saint-Tropez, France — after undergoing two cancer surgeries and experiencing severe back pain, d’Ormale told French magazine Paris Match ahead of the actress’ funeral on Wednesday, Jan. 7.

d’Ormale, who married Bardot in 1992, told the outlet of his wife’s final moments, “I never left her side. I watched over her, supported by nurses who came discreetly every day,” per a translated article.

“In the morning, when I served her the breakfast she loved. Like a child, she also had her afternoon snack: tea with milk and a croissant,” he recalled to the magazine.

Brigitte Bardot - 1959

Brigitte Bardot is pictured in 1959.Sam Levin/Regie Du Film/Del Duca/Kobal/Shutterstock

He recalled of the morning of Bardot’s death, “I was half asleep beside her. I sat up when I heard her say ‘Pioupiou,’ that little nickname we used for each other in private, and then it was over,” as reported by Paris Match.

d’Ormale added to the outlet, “A sense of peace and tranquility settled over her face. And she became incredibly beautiful again, just like in her youth. You wouldn’t have believed she was 91.”

The Brigitte Bardot Foundation didn’t immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for comment.

Kino. Brigitte Bardot, 1950er, 1950s, Bardot, Brigitte, Film Star, French, Portrait, posing, Brigitte Bardot, 1950er, 1950s, Bardot, Brigitte, Film Star, French, Portrait, posing, Brigitte Bardot.

Brigitte Bardot.FilmPublicityArchive/United Archives via Getty

The foundation confirmed Bardot’s death in a statement on Dec. 28, writing that it was announcing “with immense sadness the death of its Founder and President, Mrs. Brigitte Bardot, a world-renowned actress and singer, who chose to give up her prestigious career to dedicate her life and energy to animal welfare and her Foundation.”

Bardot will be laid to rest with a private service at the Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption Catholic Church in Saint Tropez on Wednesday, Jan. 7. Tributes will be made at the French Riviera resort where she lived for over 50 years after retiring from the acting world, per the Associated Press.

After the church service, Bardot is set is to be buried “in the strictest privacy” at a cemetery overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, the AP reported, citing the Saint-Tropez town hall.

FRANCE - MAY 01: Brigitte Bardot with husband Bernard d'Ormale in Medoc, France on May 01, 1994.

Brigitte Bardot and her husband Bernard d’Ormale are pictured in 1994.Chip HIRES/Gamma-Rapho via Getty

The Saint-Tropez tourist information center wrote on Facebook following news of Bardot’s death that the actress “will forever remain associated with Saint-Tropez, for which she was the most glamorous ambassador.”

“With her presence, personality and aura, she marked the history of our town and helped to spread Saint-Tropez around the world,” the post added. “Beyond the star, the Tropezians will keep the memory of a woman who, more than 50 years ago, chose in full international glory to permanently settle in Saint-Tropez, La Madrague, to devote herself to the defense and protection of animals.”

Bardot left behind a complicated legacy when she died. She became a legend in French film and rose to international fame with her role in 1956’s And God Created Woman, but in recent years, Bardot sparked controversy due to some of her more troubling opinions and faced legal troubles over racist and xenophobic comments.

Former actress Brigitte Bardot speaks on May 6, 2003, in an office at the National Assembly in Paris

Brigitte Bardot is pictured in 2003.JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty

 

The actress and singer started her career as a model, appearing on the cover of Elle in 1950 at the age of 15, before acting in films such as 1952’s Crazy for Love and The Girl in the Bikini, and Dear Brigitte in 1965 opposite James Stewart.

Bardot, who became an international star and was seen as a sex symbol of her time, retired from acting in 1973 at the age of 39 and ventured into a new career path: animal rights activism, launching the Brigitte Bardot Foundation for the Welfare and Protection of Animals in 1986.

While Bardot enjoyed great success throughout her career, she also struggled with her mental health. Bardot spoke about struggling with fame in a 2010 interview with FRANCE magazine, saying, “I have really been on the verge of suicide several times — it’s a miracle that I am still alive.”