Jocelyn Wildenstein passed away while in Paris with her long-term partner Lloyd Klein
Jocelyn Wildenstein, the Swiss socialite famously nicknamed ‘Catwoman,’ has died at the age of 84. The sad news was confirmed by her partner, Lloyd Klein.
Klein, a 57-year-old French fashion designer, shared that Wildenstein passed away peacefully in her sleep on New Year’s Eve, December 31, in their temporary Paris residence.
In an official statement sent to AFP, Klein said: “It is with heavy heart and with great sadness that Mr Lloyd Klein announces the unexpected death of his beloved fiancée and longtime companion Jocelyne Wildenstein.”
Jocelyn Wildenstein and Lloyd Klein seen out and about on December 15, 2024 in Paris, France MEGA/GC Images
The statement went on to explain: “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.”
Klein shared that he had tried to wake Wildenstein from a nap to get ready for a New Year’s Eve dinner but tragically found her unresponsive.
Speaking to People about her passing, he reflected: “We had a nice happy hour the same night and we were getting ready for the new year, and we took a little nap just to look good before getting dressed.”
When questioned about the cause of her death, Klein revealed: “Because of her phlebitis, the legs were very, very swollen, and the blood was blocked, and there was no oxygen in the brain.”
He added: “And we were having a nap and when I wake up, I said, ‘Jocelyn, we have to wake up, we have to get dressed,’ and she was cold and she was dead.”
“It’s very sad. It’s extremely sad,” Klein remarked, further explaining: “It’s extremely sad to lay down with your other half that I know for 21 years and waiting to celebrate New Year’s Eve and to find her cold.”
According to Klein, despite her long-standing health condition, which her grandmother also suffered from, Wildenstein had been feeling fine in the days leading up to her death.
He recalled: “We were at the Ritz two days ago. We were having dinner,” and added: “Before that, we had come for Fashion Week at Chanel. Everything was good, everything was good.”
Wildenstein first gained widespread attention after her high-profile split from Alec Wildenstein in 1997. She and Alec, an art dealer, were married for 20 years and had two children together.
Their divorce made headlines for being one of the most expensive settlements ever at the time. Wildenstein was awarded $2.5 billion, although the amount was distributed in installments of $100 million annually.
However, after Alec’s death in 2008, his family contested the fortune, and by 2015, they reportedly stopped payments to Jocelyn.
Facing financial struggles, Wildenstein declared bankruptcy just three years later in 2018.
Jocelyn Périsset, later known as Wildenstein, was born in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1940. While she became infamous for her extreme plastic surgeries, which earned her the moniker ‘Catwoman,’ she always denied undergoing cosmetic procedures.
Last year, to celebrate her daughter’s birthday in August, she shared a surprising throwback photo that showed her natural face from earlier years.
Last year, Wildenstein shared an old photo of herself and her daughter Instagram/@jocelynewildenstein
The caption of the post read: “Happy Birthday to my beautiful daughter Diane Wildenstein #oljogi #jocelynwildenstein.”
The image featured her as a striking blonde, holding her daughter Diane, who is now 45 years old. Many compared her appearance to that of a Bond girl.
In another Instagram post from June last year, Wildenstein shared a photo of herself as a 15-year-old ballerina in Switzerland. She used the caption to call out those who edited her images online.
She wrote: “#tbt that’s me #jocelynwildenstein at ballet classes in Switzerland at 15 years old.”
She further added: “So maybe you should stop speculating on my image! Press stop! Stop please and stop photoshopping my images because you are all [100 percent] wrong.”
And concluded: “Stop posting fake images of me.”
