Jocelyn Wildenstein, nicknamed the 'Catwoman', has died

Her feline features, acquired from 'under the knife', have been a common sight across the years in New York circles. But on the first day of 2025, Jocelyn Wildenstein passed away.

Lloyd Klein, her partner, confirmed her death to AFP. The cause of death reported is a pulmonary embolism that took her life in Paris (France).

Lloyd Klein has claimed that his partner was 79 years old, while some media add five years to that. The Mail Online, for example, is just one of the press outlets that gives us that figure.

Jocelyn Périsset (her maiden name) was born in Lausanne (Switzerland), and moved to Paris when she was only 20 years old. She began to mix with wealthy and famous people, until 1977, when she met the multimillionaire Alec Wildenstein on a safari in Kenya.

Barely a year later, as Alex Wildenstein told 'Vanity Fair', the couple married and Jocelyn Wildenstein jumped straight into a lifestyle of unimaginable luxury.

According to the 'Catwoman' herself, the Wildensteins would spend a million dollars a month in their early years of marriage. We're talking about the late '70s, early '80s, where a million dollars was a lot more than it is now.

The lifestyle suited her well and she enjoyed lavishing in the riches. Jocelyn Wildenstein had no qualms about stating, as she did in 'Vanity Fair', that a Chanel couture gown, valued at $350,000, was a reasonable investment.

Follow Showbizz Daily to stay informed and enjoy more content!

Included in her exorbitant spending was the biggest and longest investment she made during her lifetime: her face. She began her transformations shortly after getting married and denied having them for years.

In an interview for 'Vanity Fair' in 1998, she confirmed that it all started with an “eye lift” and, from there, Jocelyn Wildenstein went for numerous surgeries. This, whether she wanted it or not, made her a legend in the New York celebrity circles.

In the late 1990s, the Wildenstein couple separated after an alleged infidelity, committed by her husband, Alec. That wasn't all, as Jocelyn also reported being threatened by her husband, accusing him of pointing a loaded gun at her in their New York mansion.

The controversial trial ended in 1999 with a lot of zeros. to be more exact, Alec Wildenstein had to pay $2.5 billion to his ex-wife, plus $100 million a year for the next 13 years.

Jocelyn Wildenstein took $3.8 billion in total and, despite this, ended up filing for bankruptcy in 2018, 'People' recounted at the time. What's more, five years later, in 2023, the socialite herself claimed to 'The Times' that she was still bankrupt.

In 2003, she began a relationship with French designer, Lloyd Klein who is almost 30 years her junior. He told 'People' in 2026 that they met at New York Fashion Week and he was there during this delightful period of unrestrained spending.

After her bankruptcy, Jocelyn Wildenstein was determined to maintain her extravagant lifestyle and remain 'Catwoman', the feline diva everyone knew in New York. She succeeded - a Diva to the end. May she rest in peace.

Follow Showbizz Daily to stay informed and enjoy more content!