The Swiss-born billionaire/socialite Jocelyn Wildenstein, who transcended tabloid headlines, has died aged 84. Her dramatic life and surgically altered visage captured headlines for decades. Her death was confirmed by her longtime partner, fashion designer Lloyd Klein, who said she died peacefully in her sleep from a pulmonary embolism on December 31 2024.
Jocelyn became an emblem of both the excess and endurance in art and social spheres. Her high-profile, toxic divorce from billionaire art dealer Alec Wildenstein in 1999 was reported daily in the tabloids. Known for her feline-like appearance, Wildenstein was part of a close-knit international art scene for many years. She was photographed at a number of art fairs, exhibition openings, and red-carpet events worldwide, making her a celebrity in her own right.
Born Jocelyne Périsset in 1940 in Lausanne, Switzerland, she eloped in 1977 with Alec Wildenstein, the heir to a high-profile dynasty of art dealers and gallery owners. Together, they had two children: Diane and Alec Jr. According to court records, the marriage, marked by luxury and opulence, ended in a sensational divorce that reportedly awarded Jocelyn $2.5 billion-plus an annual payment of $100 million — a settlement which remains among the largest in history.
Her surgically altered appearance earned nicknames like “The Bride of Wildenstein” and “Catwoman.” Jocelyn repeatedly pressed back against the media narrative, asserting her unique features were inherited. “The lynx has the best eyes to keep it top of the pecking order,” she told Vanity Fair in 1998. If I show you pictures of my grandmother, you see these eyes—cat eyes—and high cheekbones.
The divorce cast a shadow over Jocelyn’s life, with both sides trading accusations. While Jocelyn claimed Alec’s disgust toward ageing was a factor in his rejection of her, he countered, describing her pursuit of cosmetic procedures as relentless. “She was “thinking she could fix her face like a piece of furniture,” he said. Ahead of her divorce, Jocelyn largely retreated from public life, though financial troubles sometimes pulled her back into the spotlight. After being accustomed to spending $1 million monthly to maintain her lavish lifestyle, she filed for bankruptcy in 2018 and lost three luxury Trump Tower apartments in the process.
Although she faced significant challenges, Jocelyn remained active, venturing into new projects – such as documentary and reality show plans. What happened to me was I found freedom,” she said in 2023 to The Sunday Times. Instead of going through a preconception, I could suddenly appreciate life.
Her partner, Lloyd Klein, sought to reframe her legacy in interviews based on her philanthropy and personal achievements rather than her notoriety for plastic surgery. “She has done many incredible things in her life, major accomplishments.”
In 2023, in Interview Magazine, they stated that their relationship, though tumultuous at times, endured nonetheless. Following a publicised altercation in 2016 that led to assault charges—later dropped—the couple reconciled, demonstrating a bond that defied public scrutiny.
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