Socialite Jocelyne Wildenstein, nicknamed the “cat woman”, died at the age of 79 in Paris, her companion told AFP this Wednesday, January 1. She died on December 31 following a pulmonary embolism.
Jocelyne Wildenstein, a long romance with Alec Wildenstein
Born in Switzerland on September 7, 1945, Jocelyne Wildenstein joined New York social circles after her marriage to art dealer Alec Wildenstein. After their divorce in 1998, ending 20 years of living together, she decided to keep her ex-husband's name. “I met him in Africa while hunting lions. He arrived on the ranch.“she explained to Jordan de Luxe last November on C8, affirming that it was a real one.”thunderbolt“when she saw him.”We worked together for 20 years and two months selling paintings. We sold our first painting two days after our marriage and the last one, the divorce was already underway” she told Jordan de Luxe. The couple had two children, and their divorce was particularly stormy. Jocelyne notably told Jordan de Luxe that Alec Wildenstein had been unfaithful on numerous occasions. She reached to get “$2.5 billion” during their separation, which made it one of the most resounding divorces of the time, as recalled by his companion, Mr. Klein, in a press release.
A special face
Jocelyne Wildenstein was also known for her face marked by numerous cosmetic surgery procedures. Followed by 1.1 million subscribers on Instagramshe had often been at the heart of rumors regarding her appearance. Some claimed that she was desperate to look like a feline and that she had spent millions of dollars to do so.
Invited on the set of Jordan de Luxe in November 2024, Jocelyne Wildenstein made some confidences about this rumor. She was keen to clarify speculation that she deliberately wanted to look like a cat. “My eyes have always looked a little feline, I was born like that (…) maybe it could please” she said. She also shared some secrets about her surgical procedures. “Perhaps there was an operation that was not as it should have been” she said quite mysteriously to the host.
Jordan de Luxe pays tribute to him on Instagram
Jordan de Luxe notably paid tribute to him on social networks. “The year is off to such a bad start, Jocelyne Wildenstein was so kind, a wonderful meeting, I think a lot of @lloydklein ” he wrote under a photo of him and Jocelyne.
