'Catwoman' Jocelyn Wildenstein dead at 84: Former billionaire was famed for extreme plastic surgery
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Jocelyn Wildenstein has died at the age of 84. The socialite, who was known for her numerous facial cosmetic procedures in the hopes of resembling a cat, passed away on Tuesday in Paris. Her nicknamed was The Cat Woman due to her pronounced cat eyes and leonine features.
![[Seen in 2022 in NYC]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/01/17/93261911-14241849-Seen_in_2022_in_NYC-m-62_1735752176631.jpg)
She died while in France, her love interest told AFP on Wednesday. 'Her partner Lloyd Klein is saddened to announce the death of Jocelyn Wildensetein in Paris,' it was shared. She died of a pulmonary embolism in a Parisian palace, it was reported by Paris Match.
![[Her throwback photo was taken at the Kenyan ranch of her late ex-husband Alec N. Wildenstein, where they met in 1977 before eloping in Las Vegas in 1978; pictured in 2000 in Paris]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/24/17/93262119-14204333-Her_throwback_photo_was_taken_at_the_Kenyan_ranch_of_her_late_ex-a-107_1735062893852.jpg)
Jocelyn Wildenstein has died. The socialite, who was known for her numerous facial cosmetic procedures in the hopes of resembling a cat, passed away on Tuesday in Paris. Seen in 1998. This Swiss-born socialite came from humble origins, only to tie the knot in the 1970s with a French-born American billionaire.
![[Here is a flashback photo of the star in her younger years]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/01/17/93505257-14241849-image-a-63_1735752193947.jpg)
But the two courted headlines just over two decades later with their messy divorce. She became one of the wealthiest people on the planet after her divorce settlement, which left her with more than $2 billion, plus millions more annually. But she somehow managed to lose it all after years of tinkering with her face and spending on countless luxuries.
![[Jocelyn lived a life of luxury with Wildenstein, but they divorced in 2000, allegedly after she discovered his infidelities. She won a stunning $2.5B in the divorce, plus $100M to be paid annually for 13 years; pictured in 1997 in Manhattan]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/01/17/93261903-14241849-Jocelyn_lived_a_life_of_luxury_with_Wildenstein_but_they_divorce-m-64_1735752213797.jpg)
The 84-year-old high society fixture — born Jocelyne Périsset — was married to the late art dealer and billionaire Alec N. Wildenstein, who was the son of the French art dealer and horse breeder Daniel Wildenstein. Their family presided over Wildenstein & Co., an influential Paris-based art dealership.
![[But the lion-faced socialite frittered away the fortune through extravagant purchases. She also claims a painting comprising part of her trust turned out to be a forgery, while another was auctioned for tens of millions less than expected; seen in 2017 in NYC]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/24/17/93261905-14204333-But_the_lion_faced_socialite_frittered_away_the_fortune_through_-a-105_1735062893838.jpg)
