‘Catwoman’ Jocelyn Wildenstein Dead at 84
Swiss socialite, Jocelyn Wildenstein, known for her cosmetically enhanced cat-like appearance has died in France aged 84.
Jocelyn’s cause of death was a pulmonary embolism, her fiancé Lloyd Klein told Agence France-PresseJan. 1. He added, “An icon is gone.”
Jocelyn, dubbed “Catwoman” and “The Bride of Wildenstein” due to her dramatic cosmetic transformation, rose to fame during her 1999 divorce from billionaire art dealer Alec Wildenstein after captivating the public with her unique look. Her ex-husband who underwent his first cosmetic procedure with her in a his-and-hers facelift, was candid about his thoughts on her fixation with plastic surgery.
“She was thinking that she could fix her face like a piece of furniture,” he told Vanity fair in 1998. “Skin does not work that way. But she wouldn’t listen.”
However, their couple’s surgeries were only the beginning for Jocelyn, who even found inspiration for her look in felines. As she put it, “The lynx has perfect eyes.”
Although her physical transformation was a major part of her fame at the time, her legal battle with Alec kept their names in the headlines. After two years of proceedings, Jocelyn was ultimately awarded a $2.5 billion settlement, according to Reuters, and $100 million for 13 years afterward.
She eventually met Llyod, a fashion designer, who she began dating in 2003.
“Jocelyn is a wonderful, extremely refined lady and a woman of great taste,” he told Page Six in 2017. “She is a very whimsical, magical, special, and beautiful person. Yes, she is different. She has something other people do not have.”
Lloyd emphasized that Jocelyn was far more than what was seen in tabloids, including her philanthropic efforts, such as creating water sources and opening clinics for animals in Africa.
