Brigitte Bardot's personal possessions auctioned in Paris for animal charity
Nearly 300 personal items from the late French actress Brigitte Bardot went under the hammer at the Drouot auction house in Paris, with proceeds benefiting her animal charity and her son.
The Paris auction at Drouot
On Monday, auction house Millon presented 285 personal lots belonging to the late French cinema icon Brigitte Bardot at the Drouot auction rooms in Paris. The collection draws from Bardot's Paris flat on Rue de la Tour and her two residences in Saint-Tropez, with several rooms recreated within the exhibition space. Most items carry pre-sale estimates below €100 (approximately £86), though valuations across the entire catalogue range from €20 to €10,000. Fans and collectors gathered in central Paris to view possessions spanning her decades in cinema, music, and animal welfare. Longtime secretary Frank Guillou described the personal significance attached to each piece in the assembled lots.
Each item on sale bears the trace of an encounter, an involvement, a moment of happiness, a stage of her life. They tell the story of the woman as well as the legend.
Dance wear, instruments and daily belongings
The auction features items reflecting Bardot's early training as a ballerina before her transition to screen acting. Among the catalogued lots are two black Repetto tutus paired with a lace corset, estimated at €400 to €600, along with two pairs of leather Repetto ballet flats. Bardot contributed to the brand's popular profile by requesting a custom version designed for everyday street wear. Everyday items include her Peugeot bicycle, Le Creuset cookware, cigarette lighters, and glasses bearing her 'BB' initials. The sale also offers the manual typewriter she used to compose correspondence and the second volume of her memoirs, alongside classical guitars, drawings, and a copy of the Kama Sutra. An empty bottle of Guerlain's L'Heure Bleue perfume, estimated at €40 to €60, reflects her longstanding daily fragrance.
L'Heure Bleue was her perfume. During all these years, I never knew her to wear any other. She bought it at Guerlain on Rue de Passy, and always kept a bottle in her bag. It was a habit, almost a signature.
Distribution of proceeds and family dispute
Proceeds from the sale are allocated to Bardot's son, Nicolas-Jacques Charrier, and the Brigitte Bardot Foundation for animal welfare. The auction has drawn direct opposition from her final husband, Bernard d'Ormale, who described the sale of her intimate items as scandalous and stated that she would certainly not have agreed. Auction organizers stated that the event enables admirers to remember her while generating funding for animal care. The catalogue also includes personal dog collars and plush toys preserved from her pets, alongside two bottles of special edition Brigitte Bardot champagne valued between €40 and €60.
- Bardot develops passion for flamenco and Spanish guitar
- Serge Gainsbourg references Bardot and her Guerlain fragrance in Initials B.B.
- Bardot reflects on her early ballet training in an interview
- Bardot establishes the Brigitte Bardot Foundation for animal welfare
- Bardot dies at age 91
- Drouot holds Paris auction of 285 personal items from Bardot's estate
Cultural legacy and later years
Bardot rose to international prominence through 1950s cinema, including Et Dieu... créa la femme, earning comparisons to Marilyn Monroe before stepping away from acting to live at La Madrague in Saint-Tropez. In 1986, she established the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, dedicating her later life to animal protection. Her public profile also involved legal scrutiny, including five convictions for inciting racial hatred alongside criticism for homophobic comments. Bardot died in December 2025 at the age of 91. The auction rooms in Paris drew admirers and animal welfare advocates seeking objects from her estate.
