Paris —  French politicians were divided on Monday over how to pay tribute to the late Brigitte Bardot who, despite her screen legend, courted controversy — and convictions — in later life with her far-right views.

The film star died on Sunday at the age of 91 at home in the south of France. Media around the globe splashed iconic images of her and tributes following the announcement.

Bardot shot to fame in the 1956 film “And God Created Woman” and went on to appear in about 50 films, but turned her back on cinema in 1973 to throw herself into fighting for animal rights.

But her links to the far-right stirred controversy.

Bardot was convicted five times for hate speech, mostly about Muslims but also about the inhabitants of the French island of Reunion, whom she described as “savages.”

She died before dawn on Sunday morning with her fourth husband, Bernard d’Ormale, a former adviser to the far right, by her side.

“She whispered a word of love to him … and she was gone,” Bruno Jacquelin, a representative of her foundation for animals, told BFM television.

French President Emmanuel Macron hailed her as a “legend” of 20th century cinema who “embodied a life of freedom.”

Right-wing politicians laud Bardot

Far-right figures were among the first to mourn her.

Marine le Pen, whose National Rally party is riding high in polls, called her “incredibly French: free, untameable, whole.”

Bardot backed Le Pen for president in 2012 and 2017 and described her as a modern “Joan of Arc” she hoped could “save” France.

Conservative politician Eric Ciotti suggested a national farewell like the one organized for French rock legend Johnny Hallyday.

He launched an online petition that had garnered just over 7,000 signatures Monday.

Left-wing politicians temper praise and some are sharply critical

But few left-wing politicians have spoken about Bardot’s passing.

“Brigitte Bardot was a towering figure, a symbol of freedom, rebellion, and passion,” Philippe Brun, a senior Socialist party deputy, told Europe 1 radio.

“We are sad she is gone,” he said, adding he did not oppose a national homage.

But he did hint at her controversial political views.

“As for her political commitments, there will be time enough — in the coming days and weeks — to talk about them,” he said.

Communist party leader Fabien Roussel called Bardot a divisive figure.

But “we all agree French cinema created BB and that she made it shine throughout the world,” he wrote on X.

Lawmaker Sandrine Rousseau, of the left-leaning Greens Party, was more critical.

“To be moved by the fate of dolphins but remain indifferent to the deaths of migrants in the Mediterranean — what level of cynicism is that?” she quipped on BlueSky.

Bardot’s remarks on her funeral raised some eyebrows  

Bardot said she wanted to be buried in her garden with a simple wooden cross above her grave — just like for her animals — and wanted to avoid “a crowd of idiots” at her funeral.

Such a burial is possible in France if local authorities grant permission.

Born on Sept. 28, 1934 in Paris, Bardot was raised in a well-off traditional Catholic household.

Married four times, she had one child, Nicolas-Jacques Charrier, with her second husband, actor Jacques Charrier.

After quitting the cinema, Bardot withdrew to her home in Saint-Tropez to devote herself to animal rights.

Her calling apparently came when she encountered a goat on the set of her final film, “The Edifying and Joyous Story of Colinot.” To save it from being killed, she bought the animal and kept it in her hotel room.

“I’m very proud of the first chapter of my life,” she told AFP in a 2024 interview ahead of her 90th birthday.

“It gave me fame, and that fame allows me to protect animals — the only cause that truly matters to me.”

Search titan Google has reportedly retreated its recently introduced portrait-related setting for the Pixel phones’ Phone app, meant to enhance user control over portrait effects during phone calls.

Initially designed exclusively for the Google Phone app on Pixel devices, this feature was part of Google’s efforts to improve user experience through software updates rather than hardware changes.

The feature was slated to gradually roll out via a server-side update for Pixel phones equipped with advanced computational photography and AI-driven camera capabilities. By extending portrait effects from photography and video into calling features, Google aimed to enhance visual clarity during communication.

With the new portrait setting, users could have managed portrait behaviour more effectively during calls, being able to activate or deactivate portrait processing instead of relying solely on automatic settings.

This functionality was particularly beneficial for those who frequently switched between voice and video calls, ensuring consistency and reducing unexpected visual effects.

Regardless, the rollback means that Pixel users will no longer have access to this feature, which was aligned with Google’s goal of enhancing the Phone app through AI-powered tools like Call Screen and improved spam detection.

As video calls have become more common than ever, the ability to control camera behaviour during calls is essential, but unfortunately, Google appears to have reconsidered its approach.

The decision to retract the feature reflects ongoing adjustments to Google’s strategy, as the company evaluates user feedback and the overall impact of such functionalities in the competitive landscape of communication technology.

• Rajab Butt faces case registered against him at Hyderi Police Station.
• Assault by lawyers leave YouTuber with torn shirt, bloodied mouth.
• Lawyers say Butt spoke against them in a vlog after last appearance.

KARACHI: YouTuber Rajab Butt was assaulted following an appearance at an additional district and sessions court in Karachi in a case related to controversial statement.

Appearing before the city court along with TikToker Nadeem Mubarak, alias Naniwaala, in relation to a bail plea, Butt was subjected to assault by lawyers, which left him with a bloodied mouth and torn shirt.

The lawyers claimed that the YouTuber had made “derogatory remarks” against them in a vlog after his previous appearance before the court, where he said that the one who filed a case against me “does not seem like a lawyer”.

Butt has been named in a case registered against him at the Hyderi Police Station by Advocate Riaz Ali Solangi related to controversial remarks.

Confirming the incident, the YouTuber’s counsel Mian Ali Ashfaq said that some lawyers had attacked his client and continued to beat him and injured him within the court premises.

“This is an unfortunate thing that has no place in any educated society,” he said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, during the hearing today, the court extended Butt’s interim bail till January 13, 2026 and adjourned the case over his bail plea till the same date.

Apart from the controversial speech case, Butt is also booked in another case, facing charges of promoting gambling and betting applications.

Earlier this month, the YouTuber, along with TikToker Naniwala secured a transit bail from the Islamabad High Court after their return to the country from the UK, from where the former was deported as his visa was revoked.

The duo then also got interim bail from a sessions court in Lahore on December 15.