Brigitte Bardot 91 Hospitalized in Toulon After Surgery

Brigitte Bardot, the 91-year-old French actress and animal rights activist, has been hospitalized in Toulon for about three weeks and underwent surgery for a serious, unspecified illness, local reports said. The former film star was taken from her home in Saint-Tropez to a private hospital near Toulon and remains under medical observation, with one report saying she is expected to be discharged in a few days though her condition remains worrying.

Hospitals and Bardot’s representatives have not disclosed details of the illness or the operation, and doctors are continuing to monitor her recovery. The timing of her admission followed her late-September birthday and the recent publication of a handwritten book described as a personal collection of definitions and memories. Her husband, Bernard d’Ormale, did not immediately provide new comment to inquiries about the current hospitalization.

Bardot first rose to international prominence in the 1950s. She made her film debut in 1952 and achieved widespread recognition after the 1956 release of And God Created Woman. Her on-screen persona and presence in films such as Contempt and Viva Maria contributed to her status as a cultural...