Scandal over Brigitte Bardot's legacy intensifies after leak of personal letter

The letter that changed the balance of the dispute

The dispute over the estate of Brigitte Bardot, who died last December at her home in Saint-Tropez, has taken a new turn after her personal letter became public. The handwritten document, dated November 2022, is addressed to Bernard d'Ormal — her companion of more than 30 years — and, in effect, records the end of their relationship. 'Bernard, it is a failure!' the letter begins, in which Bardot writes that she gave 'everything' in the hope of a companion capable of returning her love, and concludes: 'Today I have reached the limit of my despair… I so badly need support, backing, tenderness, presence — which you are incapable of giving.' This is reported by BBC News citing its own publication from Paris.

D'Ormal's situation and the Foundation's position

The leak benefits the opposing side in the conflict — the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, which d'Ormal accuses of hastily selling off the late actress's possessions without regard for friends and loved ones. A week ago, the 85-year-old d'Ormal was forced to leave the seaside home La Madrague, where he had lived with Bardot since the early 1990s and cared for her until her death. According to reports, after years of financial dependence on the actress, he has neither a bank account nor a social security card; he is now living in an apartment rented from the Saint-Tropez town hall. According to the Foundation, his only legal claim is a share in a Paris apartment that has been put up for sale.

The auction, the missing jeep and the fate of La Madrague

The conflict flared up after a September auction of household items, mostly from the actress's Paris apartment: it raised almost 1 million euros (about £835,000), divided between the Foundation and Bardot's only son Nicolas Charrier, who lives in Oslo. 'I found it astonishing — just a few months after Brigitte's death they already wanted to turn her into a souvenir. I really did not like it,' d'Ormal said. In turn, the Foundation's president Max Guazzini on Tuesday accused d'Ormal of removing items from La Madrague, including her Mini Moke jeep: 'I am not accusing him of theft, but the car has disappeared, and that is a problem.' In his words, 'on a human level' one can understand d'Ormal's reluctance to leave, 'but that is the law, and it is also what Brigitte Bardot wanted.'

What was bequeathed and what happens next with the estate

Bardot's will divided the inheritance between the Foundation bearing her name and her son; d'Ormal is not mentioned in it, and under the terms of the will, La Madrague was to be vacated within six months of her death. While lawyers compile the final inventory of assets, the Foundation is looking for ways to make the property profitable: maintaining La Madrague and the second home, La Garrigue, is expensive, both houses were in poor condition at the time of her death and now require round-the-clock security. The idea of a museum has been abandoned — La Madrague cannot be reached by car; tours, fashion shows and film shoots are being considered. After leaving cinema in 1973, Bardot devoted herself to animal protection; the Foundation says it currently cares for 13,000 animals. French media report that she entered into a marriage with d'Ormal in a ceremony in Norway, but it was never registered under French law; before him, Bardot had been married three times — to Roger Vadim, Jacques Charrier and Gunter Sachs.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images