Chappell Roan retracts Brigitte Bardot tribute after discovering late actress’ ‘very disappointing’ views
Left: Chappell Roan attends the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Peacock Theater on Nov. 8, 2025, in Los Angeles, Calif. Right: A studio portrait of actor and model Brigitte Bardot wearing a light blue off-the-shoulder dress at an undisclosed location in the 1960s. (Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic (left); Hulton Archive/Getty Images (right))
Pop star Chappell Roan has clarified and walked back a brief tribute she made to French film icon Brigitte Bardot after fans raised concerns about the late actress’s long record of controversial statements.
In an Instagram Story posted Monday, the 27-year-old singer acknowledged she was unaware of Bardot’s history at the time of her original post.
“I did not know about the views Brigitte Bardot held,” Roan wrote. “I do not support or agree with them. It’s very disappointing to learn.”
Roan had initially referenced Bardot as an inspiration for her 2023 hit “Red Wine Supernova” and added a short message wishing the actress peace. The post was later deleted following online criticism.
Some social media users accused Roan of honoring a figure known for racist and homophobic remarks, while others urged her to research Bardot’s background. At the same time, several fans defended the singer, arguing that she was being unfairly held responsible for knowing the full history of a cultural reference used in a song.
Supporters also pointed out that Bardot is mentioned in the opening line of “Red Wine Supernova,” which has been widely streamed without prior backlash, and argued that the reference was meant to evoke a vintage sex-symbol image rather than endorse her personal beliefs.
Roan, who has been outspoken in her support of LGBTQ+ rights and identifies as a lesbian, has consistently aligned herself with progressive causes.
Bardot, best known for her role in And God Created Woman, was convicted multiple times in France for inciting racial hatred. According to reports, several convictions stemmed from public statements criticizing halal slaughter and kosher food practices, which courts ruled stigmatized Muslim and Jewish communities.
In 2019, a French court on the island of La Réunion fined Bardot 20,000 euros after she referred to the island’s residents as “savages,” remarks prosecutors said amounted to incitement to hatred. Bardot had also made disparaging comments about gay people in her book A Scream in the Silence, drawing further criticism.
Roan’s response appears to have eased some of the backlash, with many fans praising her for addressing the issue directly and distancing herself from Bardot’s views.
Bardot also made negative remarks about gay people, describing them as “fairground freaks” in her book, “A Scream in the Silence,” per the Daily Mail’s report.
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