Bernard d’Ormale faces legal dispute over Brigitte Bardot's estate

Bernard d’Ormale, the 85-year-old widower of French actress Brigitte Bardot, is facing a difficult living situation after being excluded from her will. D’Ormale, who lived at the La Madrague estate in Saint-Tropez for over 30 years, now resides in a 29-square-meter social housing apartment for the elderly.

D’Ormale stated that he requested to be left out of the will to avoid suspicions of being a gold digger. The actress's estate has been divided between her son, Nicolas-Jacques Charrier, and the Fondation Brigitte Bardot. Because their 1992 marriage in Norway was not officially recognized as a civil union in France, d’Ormale had no legal right to the inheritance.

The widower has expressed regret over his decision and is planning legal action against the Fondation Brigitte Bardot. He was recently removed from his position as president of the foundation and has criticized the organization for auctioning off approximately 300 of Bardot's personal items, including clothing and photographs. He described the foundation's actions as damaging to the actress's memory.

The foundation maintains that the eviction was a legal necessity, noting that Bardot had donated La Madrague to the institution in 1992. They stated that d’Ormale was given six months to vacate the property and received assistance in finding new housing.