Chappell Roan has deleted her tribute to Brigitte Bardot following backlash over a history of controversial and offensive statements.
Pop star Chappell Roan has walked back a social‑media tribute to the late French film icon Brigitte Bardot after fans pointed out the actress’s decades‑long history of controversial and far‑right political views.
Roan, 27, initially posted a tribute on Instagram Stories on Sunday, commemorating Bardot, who died at age 91 on Dec. 28, 2025. In her original post, Roan called Bardot “the inspiration for Red Wine Supernova,” a song of hers that name‑drops the French star in its opening lyrics.
But within hours, many of Roan’s followers highlighted aspects of Bardot’s legacy that starkly contrasted with Roan’s own public persona–particularly her racist, anti‑immigrant, and anti‑LGBTQ+ remarks and criticisms of the #MeToo movement made in Bardot’s later years. Bardot was also convicted multiple times in French courts for inciting racial hatred.
Faced with the backlash, Roan deleted her original tribute and issued a new Instagram Story statement on Monday, saying:
“Holy s—t, I did not know all that insane s—t Ms. Bardot stood for. Obviously I do not condone this. Very disappointing to learn.”
Roan did not address the specifics of Bardot’s politics in detail but made clear that she did not endorse any of the controversial beliefs associated with the actress.
The incident sparked mixed reactions online. Some fans sympathized with Roan’s initial intent to acknowledge Bardot’s influence on pop culture, while others argued that background research into Bardot’s public record should have come before a high‑profile tribute.
Bardot remains a complex cultural figure: celebrated worldwide for her groundbreaking screen work in films like And God Created Woman and her post‑acting animal rights activism, yet widely criticized for her far‑right political rhetoric later in life.
Roan, known for her outspoken advocacy on behalf of LGBTQ+ communities and women’s rights, is slated to continue her tour in early 2026, including dates across Australia, New Zealand, and South America.
