An auction house in Paris conducted the sale of approximately 285 items belonging to the late French actress and animal rights advocate Brigitte Bardot, generating nearly €1 million in revenue against an initial estimate of around €50,000. The collection encompassed a diverse range of objects including clothing, accessories, household goods, and furnishings from residences in Paris and Saint-Tropez.
Bardot, who died at age 91 in December, transitioned from her acting career in the 1970s to focus on animal welfare activism. She established the Brigitte Bardot Foundation in 1986, which has since expanded to operate shelters and partner facilities across 70 countries while supporting hundreds of animal welfare organizations. The foundation stated that auction revenues would be divided between its operations and Bardot’s only child, Nicolas-Jacques Charrier.
Certain items generated particularly strong bidding interest. Two dog collars bearing Bardot’s contact information, estimated at €30, sold for €9,400 to a Russian buyer. A self-portrait commanded approximately €40,000, while her typewriter used for autobiographical writing realized €4,634. Musical instruments and memorabilia also attracted significant bids, with guitars selling for €8,600 and €1,900 respectively, and stuffed toys representing seal pups reaching nearly €2,200.
The auction drew approximately 3,000 registered bidders from France and internationally. However, the sale prompted criticism from Bardot’s widower, Bernard d’Ormale, who characterized it as disrespectful to her memory and questioned whether she would have consented to the public auction of such personal belongings. The foundation countered that the auction had received board approval in June when d’Ormale held the position of foundation president. D’Ormale was subsequently removed from his leadership role at the organization.
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