After the passing of legendary actress Brigitte Bardot, her widower Bernard d'Ormale is being evicted from the couple's Saint-Tropez estate. The dispute involves the Fondation Brigitte Bardot and the controversial auction of the star's personal belongings.
The displacement from La Madrague to a 29-square-meter council flat
The loss of the iconic La Madrague residence marks a dramatic shift in lifestyle for Bernard d'Ormale.. The secluded Saint-Tropez retreat, where the couple spent thirteen years surrounded by animals and privacy, was once a sanctuary for the late actress. however, as the source indicates, the estate was divided between Bardot's son, Nicolas-Jacques Charrier, and the Fondation Brigitte Bardot, leaving d'Ormale without a claim to the property.
This division has resulted in d'Ormale being forced to relocate to a 29-square-meter council flat in the local area. While the foundation's mandate focuses on animal welfare, the current arrangement only permits d'Ormale to visit the surviving dogs and cats at La Madrague during daylight hours. This transition highlights a growing tension in celebrity estates: the clash between a surviving partner's right to a home and the legal dictates of a charitable trust.
The €1 million auction of 300 personal artifacts
A major point of contention involves the recent sale of 300 items that once belonged to Brigitte Bardot.. According to the report, these personal artifacts—including nightgowns, paintings, and a caricature by Jean-Jacques Sempé—were auctioned off last month, generating nearly one million euros. the sale included intimate items such as a photograph of the actress as a five-year-old and various portraits of her with her pets.
Bernard d'Ormale has expressed profound indignation over this sale, describing the foundation's actions as being "like a pack of werewolves." He claims that while he had originally agreed to have the items moved for storage, the decision to auction them was made unilaterally by the foundation. For d'Ormale, the liquidation of these memories feels less like a fundraising effort and more like an attempt to erase the actress's personal history.
The legal fight over the Fondation Brigitte Bardot's unilateral decisions
The conflict is now moving toward a courtroom as Bernard d'Ormale prepares to sue the Fondation Brigitte Bardot. Despite still holding a position as a board member, d'Ormale alleges that the foundation has engaged in disrespectful treatment and the misappropriation of Bardot's personal effects. The legal battle will likely hinge on whether the foundation's governing board overstepped its authority or violated the specific intentions of the deceased actress.
Several critical questions remain unaswered by the current reporting. It is not yet clear if the Fondation Brigitte Bardot has issued a formal rebuttal to d'Ormale's "werewolves" accusation,nor is it known if Nicolas-Jacques Charrier intends to intervene in the dispute. Furthermore, the source does not clarify if the foundation's legal right to sell these assets is absolute under the terms of the will, or if d'Ormale's status as a board member provides him with grounds to halt such sales.
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