‘And then it was over’: Brigitte Bardot’s husband reveals her painful final days, here’s the cause of death he shared

Brigitte Bardot, the iconic French actress and animal rights activist, passed away peacefully on December 28 at her home in Saint-Tropez, La Madrague. She was 91. Her husband, Bernard d’Ormale, revealed that Bardot had been battling cancer and had undergone two surgeries, alongside enduring severe back pain in her final days.

Speaking to French magazine Paris Match ahead of Bardot’s funeral on January 7, d’Ormale described the quiet care surrounding her final days. “I never left her side. I watched over her, supported by nurses who came discreetly every day,” he said. He recalled her morning routine: “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 also recounted the final moments of Bardot’s life: “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,” he told Paris Match. He added, “A sense of peace and tranquillity settled over her face. And she became incredibly beautiful again, just like in her youth. You wouldn't have believed she was 91.”

d’Ormale shared that Bardot had been diagnosed with cancer before her death, which required two surgeries. He revealed she also suffered from severe back pain in her final days. Despite her illness, Bardot spent her last moments peacefully at home, surrounded by care and love.

The Brigitte Bardot Foundation confirmed her death on December 28, honouring her as “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’s move away from cinema allowed her to focus entirely on protecting animals, a cause she passionately supported for decades.

Bardot’s final wishes were reflected in her private funeral plans. She will be laid to rest with a small service at the Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption Catholic Church in Saint-Tropez on Wednesday, January 7. Following the service, she will be buried in “the strictest privacy” at a cemetery overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, according to the Associated Press.

The town of Saint-Tropez, where Bardot lived for over 50 years, paid tribute to her impact. The local tourist information centre wrote on Facebook that she “will forever remain associated with Saint-Tropez, for which she was the most glamorous ambassador.”

The post continued, “With her presence, personality and aura, she marked the history of our town and helped to spread Saint-Tropez around the world. 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 defence and protection of animals.”

Bardot is survived by her fourth husband, Bernard d’Ormale, a former adviser to Jean-Marie Le Pen. Her only child, Nicolas-Jacques Charrier, lived mostly estranged from her but drew closer in her final years. In her memoirs, Bardot described pregnancy as carrying “a tumour that fed on me.” Her sister, Mijanou, 87, did not travel from Los Angeles for the funeral, posting on Facebook, “My Brigitte… now knows the greatest of mysteries.”

Even in death, Bardot’s independence and connection to her animals remained clear. In 2018, she expressed a wish to be buried in her garden with her pets to avoid “a crowd of idiots” at a public cemetery. True to her wish, she now rests at her family’s Mediterranean seaside grave, reflecting the life she led on her own terms.