Brigitte Bardot threatens to join Gerard Depardieu in Russian exile

Ex-film star and a prominent animal rights campaigner Brigitte Bardot smiles to photographers 16 July 2001 after a meeting with French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin in Paris. / JACK GUEZ/Getty

Sex symbol-turned-animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot is threatening to join actor Gerard Depardieu in Russian exile unless France halts the scheduled euthanasia of two sick circus elephants.

• Gerard Depardieu receives Russian citizenship

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Brigitte Bardot

The 1960s screen diva says authorities have ignored her "numerous proposals" to save Baby and Nepal, a pair of 42-year-old elephants dying of tuberculosis at a Lyon zoo.

In a statement on her foundation's website Bardot says that if the elephants are killed she will request Russian citizenship "to flee this country that is now just a graveyard for animals."

This week, France was shocked to learn Depardieu, an Academy Award-winner and pillar of French cinema, had received Russian citizenship after he was called "pathetic" by France's prime minister in a dust-up over the country's proposed 75 percent income tax for the superrich.

[tvwatcher5345]

i never thought of moscow as being pro-animal rights??? never even thought of moscow as being pro-human rights...from the moscow created famine of the 1930's to the cyber attacks by moscow on estonia in 2007 because the estonians rightfully wanted to remove a statue of the soviet war criminals, there are many other places you could think of, moscow is one not one of them.

[judymar14]

I am always with her on stopping animal cruelty of any kind. Not so this time, these elephants have to be suffering, the same as a human would with tuberculosis. It would be more humane to put them to sleep ending their pain.

Let her go! If any country is cruel to animals it's Russia.

BTW, she is at least in her 70s and donates time and money to a more worthy cause than supporting plastic surgeons as so many ex-celebs do.

[hypnotoad72]

Holy gum recession, batman!

All I know is, most CEOs prefer taking stock over actual salary because the level of taxation for stocks is far, far lower...

[caljack430]

Perhaps we should choose a more... complimentary photo, CBS. She looks like a zombie werewolf in that one...

[tvwatcher5345]

that's the way she looks, years ago elton john told her she looked terrible and offered to pay for plastic surgery, she declined and asked for money for animals, she is who she is