Who Was Jocelyn Wildenstein? Socialite Known For Extreme Plastic Surgeries Dies

Swiss socialite Jocelyn Wildenstein passed away peacefully in her sleep, aged 84, on December 31, 2024. She underwent a pulmonary embolism and passed away in a palace in Paris, The Independent reported. “Her partner Lloyd Klein is saddened to announce the death of Jocelyn Wildenstein in Paris,” Agence France Presse reported. She last made a public appearance two weeks before she passed away when she reportedly 'appeared in good health'.

Wildenstein was an art dealer on Instagram, where she had 1.1 million followers. She was fondly known as 'Catwoman' because she underwent numerous plastic surgeries to attain 'feline features'. According to reports, she was also known for her immense divorce settlement of $2.5 billion from Alec Wildenstein.

Who Was Jocelyn 'Catwoman' Wildenstein?

Jocelyn Wildenstein (née Périsset) was born on August 5, 1940, in Lausanne, Switzerland, to a middle-class department store buyer. Her early life was reportedly full of struggles until she turned 17 when she started dating Swiss movie producer Cyril Piguet. She then dated European filmmaker Sergio Gobbi for five years, with whom she lived in Paris.

Jocelyn had a penchant for art and decor. While living in France, she also learnt to be a skilled pilot and a hunter. She was known for her connections with elite socialites including Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, who introduced her to her future lover, French-born American billionaire and former elite art dealer, Alec Wildenstein in 1977.

Jocelyn and Alec got married in 1978 and split in the 1990s after she walked in on him having an affair with a 21-year-old Russian model. According to reports, Alec threatened Jocelyn with a gun, resulting in him spending a night in jail. Their bitter divorce in 1999 made headlines as one of the biggest settlements in history.

In 2003, Jocelyn began dating Lloyd Klein, a French fashion designer. Wildenstein was known for living a lavish life, spending billions of dollars on a regular, according to her interviews. In 2018, she filed for bankruptcy protection. She also spent money on numerous cosmetic surgeries, which she admitted to undergoing in hopes of looking like a cat!