Chappell Roan reveals the late Brigitte Bardot inspired one of her songs

(A previous version of this story was published on 12/29/25 at 12:53 p.m. ET. This version has been updated to include new remarks from Chappell Roan.)

The French movie icon and sex symbol Brigitte Bardot died Sunday at age 91, and Chappell Roan paid tribute to the late star on her Instagram Story.

Chappell, who was born over 40 years after Bardot became a worldwide sensation in the 1956 film And God Created Woman, posted a photo of the actress and wrote, “She was my inspiration for red wine supernova. Rest in peace Ms. Bardot.”

“Red Wine Supernova” is from Chappell’s debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. It was originally released as a single in 2023, but hit the Billboard Hot 100 in 2024 thanks to the success of “Good Luck, Babe!”  The opening lines of the song are, “She was a playboy, Brigitte Bardot/ She showed me things I didn’t know.”

Chappell’s not the only artist who has name-checked Bardot in a song. She also appears in the lyrics of songs by Billy Joel, Elton John, Bob Dylan and the Pretenders.

Following Chappell’s initial post, fans apparently informed her of some of Bardot’s more controversial views, which the actress espoused later in life. She supported right-wing politicians, made disparaging comments about gay people and immigrants, and was convicted and fined multiple times by French courts for “inciting racial hatred.”

Chappell wrote on her Instagram Story, “Holy s*** i did not know all the insane s*** Ms. Bardot stood for obvs I do not condone this. very disappointing to learn.”

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