Jocelyn Wildenstein obit

Jocelyn Wildenstein, ‘Catwoman’ Socialite Known for Extreme Plastic Surgeries, Dies at 84

The Swiss socialite made headlines for her 1999 divorce and her years of extreme cosmetic surgeries 

She was not on the list.

Jocelyn Wildenstein has died at the age of 84. The Swiss socialite was known for both her extensive and extreme plastic surgeries and her high-profile 1999 divorce from a billionaire art dealer.

Jocelyn's longtime partner, Lloyd Klein, confirmed to PEOPLE that she died in her sleep while taking a nap on Dec. 31. The news was first reported by AFP and Paris Match.

Jocelyn was born Jocelyne Périsset in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1940. In 1977, she eloped with Alec Wildenstein. They shared two children, Diane and Alec Jr.

The couple split in 1997 in a headline-making divorce that was finalized two years later. Tabloids dubbed Jocelyn “The Bride of Wildenstein” and “Catwoman” because of her extremely surgically-altered appearance. Alec, who died in 2008, ultimately paid his ex-wife $2.5 billion as well as $100 million annually to settle the divorce.

During their divorce, Jocelyn claimed she had undergone so many cosmetic procedures because of her husband, who she said "hates to be with old people." But she also denied that her feline-like features were all because of plastic surgery. She told Vanity Fair in 1998, "The lynx has perfect eyes. If I show you pictures of my grandmother, what you see is these eyes — cat eyes — and high cheekbones." She also told the outlet that she spent $1 million every month to maintain the family’s lifestyle.

Alec had a different perspective about her surgeries, claiming to the outlet, “I would always find out last. She was thinking that she could fix her face like a piece of furniture. Skin does not work that way. But she wouldn’t listen.”

Once the divorce was finalized, Jocelyn tried to stay out of the spotlight. “I’ve never been public. It’s not my nature,” she told The Sunday Times in 2023. She also blamed Alec for planting stories about her plastic surgery and trying to paint her as a “monster” to “win” the divorce.

Jocelyn told The Times that year that she was going to be the subject of an upcoming documentary as well as a reality show — decisions she made after running out of money. “I have a huge problem with my settlement,” she explained. “Since eight years, they have completely cut me off.” Back in 2018, she filed for bankruptcy, and her three luxury apartments in Trump Tower were repossessed.

Since 2003, Jocelyn was in a relationship with fashion designer Klein. Klein told Interview Magazine in 2023, “She’s known for plastic surgery, but I don’t know that this is what she should be known for because she did a lot of incredible things in her life. Major, major, major achievements," highlighting her philanthropic efforts.

She told Interview, then, of her life post-divorce, "I had a lot of fun. I found freedom, and instead of having to behave according to a program, I could suddenly have the freedom to appreciate it."

At times, Klein and Jocelyn's relationship was on-again-off-again. In 2016, Jocelyn and Klein split after she called the police during a fight. He was charged with assault, among other charges, and she was also charged with two counts of assault. Both their charges were dropped in 2017, and they reconciled.

In the days before Jocelyn’s death, both she and Klein posted about spending the holidays in Paris on Instagram. 

Jocelyn is survived by Klein and her children.