An auction in Paris on Monday saw the personal effects of French icon Brigitte Bardot fetch nearly €1 million, far exceeding original estimates. The proceeds from the 185 items are designated for her animal welfare foundation.
From €30 dog collars to a €40,000 self-portrait
Bidders at the event showed immense interest in the collection, which included items from Bardot's Saint-Tropez homes, La Madrague and La Garrigue. As the report notes, approximately 3,000 international and French bidders participated in the sale. The auctioneer, Alexandre Millon, described the actress as a "remarkable alchemist" for the way the items' value surged past expectations.
Specific items saw dramatic price jumps that stunned attendees.. While two dog collars were originally estimated at just €30, they eventually sold for €9,400 to a buyer from Russia. other notable sales included a self-portrait that reached nearly €40,000 and a typewriter used for her autobiography that fetched €4,634. even small items like stuffed baby seals sold for nearly €2,200, according to the source.
Bernard d'Ormale's protest against the "scandalous" sale
Bernard d'Ormale, the widower of Brigitte Bardot, has publicly condemned the auction as a "scandalous" act of disrespect. The report states that d'Ormale, who has lived in a council flat after being disinherited, believes the sale of such personal items goes against the star's wishes. He argued that these belongings should have been preserved as part of her lasting legacy rather than sold to the highest bidder.
A legacy rooted in the 1986 Bardot Foundation
The Brigitte Bardot Foundation views this auction as a continuation of the actress's lifelong commitment to animal rights. Managing director Ghyslaine Calmels noted that the sale mirrors a similar event organized by Bardot herself in 1987 to fund the foundation. Since its inception in 1986, the organization has supported 350 groups in France and operates in 70 countries, having taken in 13,000 animals through various shelters.
The contradiction regarding the June board approval
A significant dispute remains regarding whether the auction was truly authorized by all relevant parties .. While the foundation claims the sale was approved by the board in June—at a time when d'Ormale served as president—the widower maintains he was unaware the sale would involve such intimate personal effects.. This leaves several questions unanswered: was d'Ormale's removal from his leadership role at the foundation a direct result of this disagreement, and how can the authenticity of these private items be verified once they enter private collections?
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