Getting to Know Brigitte Bardot’s Son, Nicolas-Jacques Charrier
Brigitte Bardot holds her new son Nicolas in her Paris apartment in 1960.
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AP/Shutterstock
Key Information
- Brigitte Bardot welcomed her son, Nicolas, with second husband Jacques Charrier in 1960.
- Bardot often expressed her reluctance to embrace motherhood and was estranged from Nicolas.
- The French actress passed away in 2025 at the age of 91.
Brigitte Bardot, a renowned model, actress, and singer, is perhaps best known for her iconic status in film and fashion. However, one role she expressed little desire to fulfill was that of a mother.
In her memoir, *Initiales B.B.*, published in the 1990s, Bardot wrote, “I’m not made to be a mother. I’m not adult enough—I know it’s horrible to have to admit that, but I’m not adult enough to take care of a child.” Despite her feelings, she gave birth to her son, Nicolas-Jacques Charrier, in 1960 with her then-husband Jacques Charrier.
Bardot, who was married four times, first wed director Roger Vadim from 1952 to 1957, then actor Jacques Charrier from 1959 to 1962, followed by German millionaire Gunther Sachs from 1966 to 1969, and finally businessman Bernard d’Ormale in 1992.
Nicolas was born on January 11, 1960, during a home birth in the couple’s Paris apartment. Bardot conveyed her ambivalence toward motherhood in her memoir, stating, “I looked at my flat, slender belly in the mirror like a dear friend upon whom I was about to close a coffin lid.” Following her divorce from Charrier, he retained custody of their son.
Before her death at age 91, Bardot faced backlash for her controversial statements, including criticism of the #MeToo movement, which she labeled “hypocritical and ridiculous.” In 2008, she was fined over $25,000 for claiming that Muslims were “destroying our country.”
Here is an overview of Brigitte Bardot’s son, Nicolas-Jacques Charrier.
Bardot’s Home Birth
Brigitte Bardot and Jacques Charrier with their son Nicolas in 1960.
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Nicolas was born weighing 7 pounds, as reported by a birth announcement in *The New York Times*.
Raised by Paternal Grandparents
Following Bardot and Charrier’s divorce in 1962, Nicolas primarily lived with his paternal grandparents. Bardot later remarked, “I didn’t bring up Nicolas because I needed support, roots. I couldn’t be Nicolas’ roots because I was completely uprooted, unbalanced, lost in that crazy world.”
Nicolas’ Attempt to Censor Bardot’s Memoir
Brigitte Bardot and Jacques Charrier.
Bettmann Archive
In anticipation of the release of *Initiales B.B.*, Nicolas and Charrier sought to censor sections of the book referencing them. Their efforts were unsuccessful, and sections where Bardot described Nicolas as “the object of my misfortune” drew significant public attention.
She also detailed two prior abortions—one nearly fatal—as well as a suicide attempt due to Charrier’s insistence that she stop acting to bear their child.
Reflecting on her struggles, Bardot wrote, “I wanted to free myself—in every sense of the word—I wanted and could not, because I was a prisoner of my too famous name and possessive nature of Jacques, a prisoner of my body, my face, my child.”
Lawsuit Following the Memoir
Jacques Charrier and his son Nicolas-Jacques during a trip to Iran on November 18, 1963.
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After the publication of *Initiales B.B. in 1997, Charrier and Nicolas sued Bardot for invasion of privacy. Bardot had alleged abuse from her ex-husband and compared her pregnancy to having “a tumor growing inside of me.” A Paris court eventually imposed a fine of approximately $40,000 on Bardot.
Charrier’s Response to Bardot’s Memoir
Jacques Charrier gives a press conference on January 11, 1960 to announce the birth of his son Nicolas.
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In response, Charrier published his own account in *My Response to Brigitte Bardot* in 1997. He stated, “By giving my version of the facts, I’m doing her a big favor,” arguing that his portrayal would reflect more favorably on her than her own assertions.
Charrier passed away in 2025.
Contacts Over Time
Brigitte Bardot with her son Nicolas.
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In 1992, Bardot married Bernard d’Ormale in Norway, near where Nicolas resided with his family. D’Ormale recounted that following their meeting, Bardot expressed a desire for Nicolas to meet him and suggested they get married during the visit, which they did quietly.
Bardot’s Promise to Nicolas
In June 2024, *Paris Match* published a special issue on Bardot, in which she clarified her decision to refrain from discussing Nicolas in public. She stated that she had promised him not to speak about him in interviews.
Through her relationship with Nicolas, Bardot became a grandmother and great-grandmother.
