Depardieu's move to Belgium has been derided as "pathetic" by Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault while another top French actor, Philippe Torreton, publicly accused him of sulking like a playground creep.

That prompted Bardot, 77, to tell Torreton to "keep his venom, his vulgarity, his mediocrity and his jealousy to insult someone worthy of the bother".

Bardot, who normally restricts her public statements to the issue of animal rights, said: "I support Gerard Depardieu, who has been the victim of extremely unfair persecution.

"Even if he is a fan of bullfighting, that does not prevent him being an exceptional actor who represents France with a unique fame and popularity."