Key facts
- Brigitte Bardot's personal belongings sold for nearly €1 million ($1.15 million) at a Paris auction.
- The auction included 285 objects such as clothing, sunglasses, tableware, and furniture from her homes.
- Proceeds from the sale will go to the Brigitte Bardot Foundation and her son, Nicolas-Jacques Charrier.
- The Brigitte Bardot Foundation supports animal welfare initiatives globally.
- The auctioneer, Alexandre Millon, noted the sale transformed an estimated €50,000 into nearly €1 million.
- A pair of dog collars sold for €9,400, significantly exceeding their €30 estimate.
An auction of personal items belonging to French film star and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot fetched nearly €1 million ($1.15 million) in Paris on Monday, significantly exceeding initial estimates. The sale, conducted by auction house Millon, included 285 objects ranging from clothing and sunglasses to furniture from Bardot's homes.
Bardot, who retired from acting to focus on animal rights advocacy, had her belongings auctioned to benefit her foundation and her son, Nicolas-Jacques Charrier. The Brigitte Bardot Foundation, established in 1986, supports animal welfare globally.
Auctioneer Alexandre Millon highlighted the sale's success, noting that it transformed an estimated €50,000 into nearly €1 million with fees. Specific items like dog collars, a self-portrait, guitars, and stuffed toys sold for prices far above their estimates.
However, the auction was not without controversy. Bardot's widower, Bernard d’Ormale, criticized the sale as a "joke" and "disrespect to Brigitte’s memory," stating her belongings should have been preserved as part of her legacy and that Bardot would not have agreed to the sale. The foundation rejected this criticism, asserting the auction had board approval and that d’Ormale had been removed as head of the foundation shortly before the sale.