Jocelyn Wildenstein has died at the age of 84. The Swiss socialite died peacefully in her sleep on December 31 in Paris, her longtime partner said.
“It is with heavy heart and with great sadness that Mr Lloyd Klein announces the unexpected death of his beloved fiance and longtime companion Jocelyne Wildenstein,” the fashion designer said in an English-language statement sent to AFP.
“Mrs Wildenstein died peacefully in her sleep in the late afternoon of December 31st, 2024 in her… suite in Paris where the couple had taken temporary residence since August of 2024,” he added.
Who was Jocelyn Wildenstein?
Jocelyn Wildenstein, nee Jocelynnys Dayannys da Silva Bezerra Périsset, was a Swiss-born socialite who gained widespread fame for her extravagant lifestyle and highly publicised cosmetic surgeries.
Born on 5 August, 1940, in Lausanne, Switzerland, not much is known about her middle-class childhood.
Jocelyne married Alec Wildenstein, a billionaire art dealer and heir to the Wildenstein art dynasty, in 1978. She became a fixture of the New York high society after her marriage to Wildenstein.
It was also after her marriage that she embarked on a spree of plastic surgeries, apparently to achieve a more feline appearance and please her ex-husband. Her extensive cosmetic and plastic surgeries gained Jocelyne the nickname of “Catwoman.”
Jocelyn and Alec Wildenstein split in the 1990s in one of the biggest divorce settlements in history. The reported $2.5 billion divorce settlement also stipulated $100m each year for Jocelyne for 13 years afterward, the Guardian reported.
Jocelyn Wildenstein dies at 84
Jocelyne Wildenstein was spotted in France with Lloyd Klein just two weeks ago, when she appeared healthy. However, the Swiss socialite died on December 31.
Klein said he tried to wake her up in the late afternoon of December 31 so they could get ready for New Year’s Eve dinner, but she was unresponsive.
“Early reports from the doctors called to the scene indicate that she had endured heart failure and passed peacefully in her sleep,” Klein said.