Given the tight time constraints of the Academy Awards telecast, it is perhaps inevitable that the solemn In Memoriam segment of the Oscars will fail to include every notable entertainment industry figure who has died over the past year. This was indeed the case this year, with some viewers, and in one case, seemingly a whole nation, upset over the omissions made during the telecast.
This year, the telecast omitted the likes of James Van Der Beek, Eric Dane, Malcolm Jamal-Warner, and Tom Noonan, and fans on social media were quick to point that out. In France, the glaring absence of film icon Brigitte Bardot has caused much debate in mainstream media and on social media. Bardot, who died in December at 91, was undoubtedly a global star due to her appearance in classic films like And God Created Woman and The Truth and Contempt. But after her film career abruptly ended in the mid-1970s, Bardot became notorious in her home country for her extreme right-wing politics.
Bardot's absence saw many in France recall the omission of Alain Delon at the 2025 Oscars. The Leopard and Le Samouraï actor, who was often dubbed "the male Brigitte Bardot," was also a hugely influential film and pop culture figure in the 1960s and 1970s, and like Bardot, he became better known in his later years for his extremist politics. To be clear, no reasons have been given for Bardot's absence, and she did feature on the Academy's website, which contained a much more comprehensive In Memoriam section.
Still, the majority of the French entertainment media seemed shocked by Bardot's exclusion, given her outsized film legacy, but also reluctant to touch on Bardot's politics as a possible reason she didn't make the cut for the telecast. Paris Match described Bardot's absence as "unforgivable" and asked, "How could such a cinematic icon have been overlooked?" Talking up Bardot's legacy, the magazine wrote that the actress "not only left her mark on film history with her movies but also sparked a sexual revolution in the United States in the 1950s with her role in Roger Vadim's And God Created Woman."
In conclusion, while no official reasons have been given for Bardot's exclusion from the Oscars In Memoriam segment, many in France and beyond are left wondering why such a significant figure in cinema was overlooked. Some speculate that it may be due to her controversial political views and associations, while others simply view it as a missed opportunity to honor her immense contribution to world cinema. Regardless of the reasons behind her exclusion, Bardot's absence has sparked a lively debate about the Academy's selection process and the importance of remembering those who have shaped our cultural landscape.
