Vintage Photos of the Most Iconic ’70s Couples

They met in the early ’70s when Bardot was retreating from stardom and searching for stability. By the time they married in 1982, her sex-symbol era was long over, replaced by animal-rights activism and reclusion far from Saint-Tropez flashbulbs.

This relationship didn’t implode—it faded. Emotional distance and differing priorities led to a quiet separation in 1983. Bardot continued withdrawing from public life, while the marriage became a footnote in her transformation from cinematic icon to fiercely private crusader.