French actress Brigitte Bardot dies aged 91

Bardot in a new car that she just received while filming the 1959 movie, Voulez-vous danser avec moi?

French actress Brigitte Bardot dies at the age of 9.

A statement, released by the Brigitte Bardot foundation, refers to her as a "world-renowned actress and singer" It says Bardot "chose to abandon her prestigious career to dedicate her life and energy to animal welfare and her foundation"

The statement, seen by AFP news agency, calls her a "world-renowned actress and singer, who chose to abandon her prestigious career to dedicate her life and energy to animal welfare and her foundation".

She starred in a number of French cinema hits in the 1950s and 1960s - including 1956's And God Created Woman - becoming known as a symbol of sexual liberation.

Later in life, she was criticised for making homophobic slurs and fined multiple times for inciting racial hatred.

Who was Brigitte Bardot?

She went on to star in a number of French cinema hits, including 1956's And God Created Woman.

Known as "BB" in her home country, Bardot became known as a symbol of sexual liberation in the 1950s - and acted in almost 50 films.

Later in life, she was fined multiple times for inciting racial hatred.

Activism followed Bardot's early retirement from film

After nearly 50 films, Bardot turned heads when she announced that she would be stepping away from the big screen aged just 39 in 1973.

Instead, she announced that she would be dedicating her life to animal welfare.

“I gave my youth and beauty to men, I give my wisdom and experience to animals,” Bardot famously said.

In 1986, Bardot launched her own animal rights charity - the Brigitte Bardot Foundation - which works to protect wild and domestic animals.

The actress later became vegetarian, and in 2013 even threatened to apply for Russian citizenship in protest against plans to kill two sick elephants in a French zoo.

Her activism had international scope and was wide ranging: in 2001, Bardot celebrated success after signing a deal with the mayor of Bucharest to save about 100,000 stray dogs from death.

According to its website, Bardot's foundation now has “more than 70,000 donors worldwide, nearly 300 employees and more than 500 volunteer investigators and delegates”.