An auction of personal items belonging to French screen icon Brigitte Bardot generated nearly €1 million (£858,000, US$1.15 million, A$1.61 million) in Paris on Monday, significantly exceeding estimates by nearly 20 times, according to the auction house Millon. A total of 285 items, including straw hats, sunglasses, nightgowns, tableware, and furniture from Bardot’s residences in Saint-Tropez and Paris, drew remarkable interest, as reported by Agence France-Presse.
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Bardot passed away in December at the age of 91. Proceeds from the auction are designated for her animal welfare foundation and her son, Nicolas-Jacques Charrier. Established in 1986, the Brigitte Bardot Foundation has sheltered 13,000 animals across four shelters and 150 partner facilities, supports 350 groups in France, and operates internationally in 70 countries.
Approximately 3,000 bidders, both French and international, registered for the auction. Auctioneer Alexandre Millon remarked on Bardot’s ability to significantly boost the estimated value, stating, "Brigitte Bardot has once again proved to be a remarkable alchemist: she transformed about €50,000 in estimates into nearly €1 million including fees."
Among notable sales were two dog collars with Bardot's ID tag, which, originally estimated at €30, sold for €9,400 to a Russian buyer. A self-portrait fetched nearly €40,000, while her typewriter, used for her autobiography, sold for €4,634. Two guitars, initially estimated between €300 and €500, sold for €8,600 and €1,900, respectively, and three stuffed toy seals fetched about €2,200.
Ghyslaine Calmels, managing director of the Bardot Foundation, noted that the auction was a continuation of Bardot's legacy, linking it to a similar sale she organized in 1987 to launch her foundation.
However, Bardot’s last husband, Bernard d’Ormale, criticized the auction just days before it took place, calling it a "joke" and questioning the motives behind selling personal items. He expressed that preserving her belongings would have been more respectful of her memory, asserting Bardot would not have approved the sale. The foundation responded that the auction had been sanctioned by its board in June, prior to d’Ormale's removal as president days before the auction.