Bigot Bardot?

Brigitte, Meet Jane (1934–2025)

January 6, 2026

This is not the column I expected to open the year with, but here goes.

We, and the animals we advocate for, lost some giants in 2025, including John Robbins and Jane Goodall. Then, on December 28, Brigitte Bardot passed and The Internet exploded. (Full disclosure: I spent time with both John and Jane; I never worked with nor ever even met Brigitte and therefore have no first-hand knowledge of her as a person.)

At the Robbins’ family homestead in Soquel, California, hang signs such as “Peace to All Beings,” and John’s well-known quote, “May All Be Fed, May All Be Healed, May All Be Loved.” Emphasis on the word “All.” When Jane passed, the many memorials and accolades were unanimously positive; you’d be hard pressed to find a negative word about her. She even left Donald Trump speechless. If Jane had been Catholic, the church would be canonizing her at this point.

And then there was Brigitte.

In 1988 I began volunteering at Whiskers, a no-kill shelter in Albany, New York, scooping litter boxes at 6 a.m. I met a guy there, I’ll call him “Marc,” and we fast became friends. He was young 30s, soft in the middle, a regular guy. We shared a love of animals, music, and the New York Mets. Five years later I’d be in his wedding party. Nearly 40 years later we’re still friends.

Marc was the first vegetarian I ever knew and invited me to my first animal rights meetings and protests. Marc is also MAGA and voted for Trump all three times. Does he frustrate the hell out of me? Yes. Have I ever considered “unfriending” him? No.

You would not be reading this right now if it was not for Marc.

I was bothered and bewildered reading the back-and-forth commentaries in the days following BB’s death. And I in no way support or excuse Brigitte Bardot’s racism, homophobia, or other apparent flaws. None of us are perfect, and I saw things in my time with both John and Jane that I’ll take to my grave, though any imperfections either had were minor speed bumps…the moral equivalent of forgetting to return a library book or rolling through a stop sign. I do not feel the same way about Brigitte, and this makes me uncomfortable. Her shortcomings will not be forgotten lightly.

We live in a celebrity culture and we tend to be far more forgiving of the character flaws of the rich and famous and beautiful. Why is that? Why, also, do some of us turn a blind eye to the sins of person A while criticizing person B for nearly the same transgressions? Would I have been more forgiving of Brigitte had I worked with her or had she donated money to my cause? My informal/unscientific sample of comments appears to show that those who forgave or were not bothered by BB’s inexcusable rantings (and convictions, in both senses of the word) either worked with her or had projects funded by her; while those critical came mostly from casual observers with little or no connection to her. And most in this later group appeared unaware of her shortcomings while she lived. While I don’t believe it’s wrong to criticize someone after they have passed, I did find it a bit disingenuous for those who knew nothing about Brigitte’s darker side to speak critically of her only after she had taken her last breath. Why wait? If the answer is because you “didn’t know,” there’s little reason to jump on the bandwagon now. It’s too late.

There’s a quote you all know: “Well behaved women rarely make history,” and, oddly (or maybe not), both Jane and Brigitte share more than being formidable women who colored outside the lines. Both will forever be etched in history with the same birth and death years: 1934–2025.

Which leads directly to The Dash, this oft-recited poem by Linda Ellis. The Dash symbolizes all that happens in a person’s life; the punctuation mark between birth and death. Here are the last four stanzas:

The Dash

If we could just slow down enough

To consider what’s true and real

And always try to understand

The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger

And show appreciation more

And love the people in our lives

Like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect

And more often wear a smile,

Remembering that this special dash

Might only last a little while.

So when your eulogy is being read

With your life’s actions to rehash

Would you be proud of the things they say

About how you spent your dash?

Strive to make your dash more like Jane’s and less like Brigitte’s. If you do any kind of “animal work,” remember that your fellow humans are animals, too, and many are less fortunate than you. Have a peaceful, healthy, blessed, and cruelty-free 2026. Happy New Year and thank you for reading. Agree or disagree? I welcome all points of view. 🌱

VegCurious? Ask a Vegan! is a weekly column by Joseph Connelly, founder of VegNews, who has been living a plant-exclusive lifestyle since 1991. Subscribe/follow so you never miss a column (it’s free!).

Have a question about veganism or animal rights? Still eating animals? Really? Tell me why! Email Joe at [askavegan@josephconnelly.com].

Missed a column? Catch up here and please share with the VegCurious in your life:

• October 1, 2025: VegCurious? An Introduction
• October 8, 2025: Why This Column Now?
• October 15, 2025: Veganism and Animal Rights
• October 22, 2025: Born Vegans
• October 29, 2025: Empaths vs. Sociopaths
• November 5, 2025: The Growth of Veganism
• November 12, 2025: Tofu, The Chick’s Natalie Maines, and Bangkok’s KFC
• November 19, 2025: Donald Watson and Non-Vegan Families
• November 25, 2025: 7 Tips for Getting Through Thanksgiving
• November 27, 2025: So Tonight I’m Gonna Vegan Like It’s 1899!
• December 3, 2025: Veganuary 2026 — Are You In?
• December 10, 2025: The Question That Changed Everything: 30 Years of Vegan Publishing
• December 17, 2025: Consider the Oyster: Why Bivalves Aren’t Vegan