According to information collected by Mariannethe foundation, which is “an institution”, “is going through a deep internal crisis.”What is happening at the Brigitte Bardot Foundation is serious, and it is the work of a single person: Ghyslaine Calmels-Bock (the current general director, editor’s note). She imposes her authority through terror and everyone suffers“, explained a former member, requesting anonymity.
Marianne affirms that the future of the foundation looks more complicated than expected: “In recent years, departures have multiplied within the foundation. In 2024, that of Christophe Marie, spokesperson for twenty-five years, caused a lot of internal reaction.“Ghyslaine Calmels-Bock would also have caused the departure of Laurence Parisot,”once considered to succeed Bardot“. The latter has always supported her, notably propelling her to the position of vice-president.
Bardot Foundation, “management from another age”
But Brigitte Bardot, who lives in her house in Var, did not manage to keep her within the foundation. She lost her duel against Ghyslaine Calmels-Bock: “Everything was put in place for Parisot to leave“, a witness tells Marianne. The magazine also tells that Frédéric Chatillon, service provider for the foundation, “is defended tooth and nail“by the general director, despite”his legal troubles“, he who was indicted for “abuse of social assets” and “fraud” in political campaigns. This man “still manages a large part of the Bardot Foundation’s communication media through its company, Riwal, and is also preparing to take over management of the new website, the foundation’s digital showcase.”
The management of Ghyslaine Calmels-Bock is also singled out by the manager of a departing shelter who criticizes “an omnipresent direction, omnipotent to a point such that most managers live in fear of making a decisionthe smallest it may be, since, in any case, the decision taken will never be the right one and will give rise to disproportionate reproaches, sometimes contemptuous, putting the person concerned in their rightful place.” And “management from another age“, he laments, also mentioning “arbitrary decisions, sometimes even at the expense of animals“.
Ghyslaine Calmels-Bock’s response
An approach that does not seem to fit at all with the image of the foundation and its values. Marianne adds that “Foundation investigators are regularly confronted with dangerous situations and sometimes risk physical violence“. Here is an example: “In April 2023, following a report about a possibly mistreated dog, one of them found himself kidnapped by the animal’s owner.” Eventually “released after about fifteen minutes, with a hell of a fear in memory“, he called for the establishment of a security protocol to be able to calmly resume his investigations. “Request accepted, it is up to him to write it. A document that will ultimately remain a dead letter..”
According to one of the witnesses interviewed, Brigitte Bardot “ignore everything“of this management:”She is simply poorly surrounded andalas.” Finally, note that, when asked about these elements, Ghyslaine Calmels-Bock spoke. She denies “any instability and mentions departures linked to a move, another for personal reasons, a temporary period and a last person who would not have given satisfaction.” Let us hope for the good of all and especially that of the animals that the Brigitte Bardot foundation continues its fight for a long time to come.
