Chrissie Hynde Stands Up for Brigitte Bardot’s Reputation

Chrissie Hynde has come to the defence of French star Brigitte Bardot, whose legacy has been under the microscope since her recent passing, largely due to her controversial political stances. Bardot died in Saint-Tropez on 28 December 2025 at the age of 91, after a period of illness that saw her hospitalised in October. Her funeral, held earlier this week, was broadcast throughout Saint-Tropez for locals to pay their respects. Bardot’s husband, Bernard d’Ormale, later confirmed she had been diagnosed with cancer shortly before her death and had undergone two major operations in her final weeks.

Since Bardot’s death, there’s been a flurry of articles questioning her legacy, including a piece from Vogue Magazine titled ‘Mourning Brigitte Bardot Doesn’t Mean Absolving Her’, which drew Hynde’s ire. Bardot’s history includes five court appearances between 1997 and 2008 for inciting racial hatred, particularly over Islamophobic remarks. She was a vocal supporter of Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of France’s National Rally, and his daughter Marine, who also attended Bardot’s funeral.

Hynde’s Response to Criticism

Taking to her social media, Hynde didn’t hold back in her criticism of the fashion press. She wrote,

Are you kidding me? Vogue magazine vilifying Brigitte Bardot the minute she died? Vogue magazine, and every fashion magazine in the world for that matter, owes more to Brigitte Bardot than any other human living or dead.

Hynde went on to praise Bardot’s influence, saying she embodied “grace, elegance, beauty, glamour, style, and women’s rights.” She also highlighted Bardot’s activism, adding, “She was an animal rights activist and anyone who knows anything about animal rights knows that we will always side with the animal if it’s being tortured or abused in any way.”

The Pretenders frontwoman insisted that Bardot’s politics shouldn’t overshadow her other achievements, stating, “politics has nothing to do with it.” Addressing the accusations of Islamophobia, Hynde remarked, “And by the way, a ‘phobia’ is an irrational fear. I cannot imagine that Bardot had any irrational fears judging by the way she lived her life. Perhaps people working for Vogue magazine should buy themselves a dictionary.”

Fashion, Influence, and Public Reaction

Hynde wrapped up her comments with a swipe at the fashion industry, saying, “I’m not even sure why anyone buys Vogue magazine but then I’m in the rock ‘n’ roll business. We don’t use make up artists or stylists. If anything we just try to emulate our heroes, like Lemmy and Brigitte Bardot. They expressed themselves by the way they looked… they didn’t hire people to do it for them.”

After Bardot’s death, pop singer Chappell Roan posted a tribute on Instagram Stories, writing, “Rest in peace Ms. Bardot. She was my inspiration for red wine supernova.” However, after backlash, Roan deleted the post and clarified, “Holy shit I did not know all that insane shit Ms. Bardot stood for. I do not condone this. Very disappointing to learn.”

Are you kidding me? Vogue magazine vilifying Brigitte Bardot the minute she died? Vogue magazine, and every fashion magazine in the world for that matter, owes more to Brigitte Bardot than any other human living or dead.

— Chrissie Hynde (@ChrissieHynde) January 8, 2026