Jocelyn Wildenstein, Known as ‘Catwoman,’ Dies at 84
Paris, December 31, 2024 – Jocelyn Wildenstein, a Swiss socialite famous for her numerous plastic surgeries, which gave her a feline-like appearance, has passed away at the age of 84 in her Parisian apartment due to a heart failure.
Her long-time partner, fashion designer Lloyd Klein, confirmed the news to the press, stating that the couple had planned to attend a New Year’s Eve party but instead, Klein awoke to find Wildenstein had passed away. According to Klein, Wildenstein had been suffering from a venous inflammation, which led to swollen legs, a lung embolism, and eventually, a lack of oxygen to the brain.
Klein recalled that just a few days prior, the couple had a wonderful holiday season, enjoying a dinner at the Ritz and attending a Chanel show during the Fashion Week.
“Mrs. Wildenstein passed away peacefully in her sleep . in a room in Paris . according to the initial findings of the doctors who arrived at the scene of the tragedy, she suffered a heart failure and died in her sleep” said Lloyd Klein, speaking to the Associated Free Press (AFP).
Born in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1940, Jocelyn Wildenstein made headlines in the 1990s with her high-profile divorce from billionaire art dealer Alec Wildenstein, in which she received a record-breaking settlement of $2.5 billion. However, it was her striking appearance, which she achieved through numerous plastic surgeries, that made her an international celebrity and a fixture in the gossip press.
Wildenstein’s life was marked by extremes, with both admiration and criticism following her every move. Her relationship with Klein, which began in 2003 and became a engagement in 2017, was a stabilizing factor in her later life.
The sudden death of the “Catwoman” marks the end of a glittering, often controversial chapter in the international celebrity scene. With her, a personality known for her extravagant lifestyle and uncompromising self-presentation is gone.