Jocelyn Wildenstein, the Swiss-born socialite who became infamous for her extreme cosmetic surgery and the feline-like features that earned her the nickname “Catwoman,” has passed away. According to her partner, French designer Lloyd Klein, Wildenstein died of a pulmonary embolism in Paris. She was 79 years old, though other reports have indicated she may have been 84 at the time of her death.
Wildenstein, whose appearance became one of the most talked-about topics in tabloids, was a fixture in New York society for decades. Known for her tempestuous love life, lavish spending, and ever-evolving looks, Wildenstein was the subject of media scrutiny, with her cosmetic surgery choices often dominating headlines.
Born Jocelyn Périsset in Lausanne, Switzerland, Wildenstein’s early life was shaped by a deep love for African wildlife, particularly big cats—a passion that would later define much of her adult life. After moving to Paris in her early 20s, she eventually met Alec Wildenstein, a wealthy art dealer, during a safari in Kenya.
The couple married in 1978, and Jocelyn became known as the new Mrs. Wildenstein, living in luxury with access to multiple international homes, including a massive ranch in Kenya where she maintained a bulletproof enclosure for tigers. The couple’s extravagant lifestyle was marked by their reported $1 million monthly expenses.
Her marriage to Alec was marred by scandal, and after a bitter divorce in 1999, Wildenstein was awarded a staggering $2.5 billion settlement, plus $100 million annually for the next 13 years. However, despite the massive payout, Wildenstein later claimed to have gone bankrupt and was reportedly “broke” by 2023, admitting to financial struggles despite her former wealth.
Wildenstein’s most notable physical transformation came through extensive cosmetic surgery, which she began around the time of her marriage.
While she frequently downplayed the extent of her surgeries, insisting that her “cat eyes” were a family trait, her striking appearance became synonymous with her public persona. Wildenstein’s face remained taut and youthful-looking for decades, with her outer eyes slanting upward in a distinctly feline manner, a look she was often associated with.
Beyond her famous appearance, Wildenstein’s personal life was filled with drama, including multiple arrests in the 2010s related to altercations with her then-partner, Lloyd Klein. Their relationship was often turbulent, but they remained together for many years.
Wildenstein also gained some attention in the fashion world, appearing at her partner’s runway shows and participating in photo shoots for publications such as Paper and Interview. Her looks, once ridiculed, were later celebrated in certain fashion circles, cementing her status as a unique icon.
In her later years, Wildenstein remained largely out of the public eye, aside from the occasional media appearance. Despite this, she promised to share more of her life story in an HBO series, though that project never came to fruition. Wildenstein had famously stated in interviews that she had “nothing to prove” and didn’t mind being misunderstood by the public.
Her death marks the end of an era for the socialite, whose extreme lifestyle and iconic appearance made her one of the most unforgettable figures in modern celebrity culture. While much of her life was defined by mystery and controversy, Jocelyn Wildenstein’s place in pop culture history is undeniably secured as one of the most infamous figures to emerge from the world of tabloid journalism and plastic surgery.