Plastic surgery queen Jocelyne ‘Catwoman’ Wildenstein dies aged 84: report

Jocelyne WildensteinThe New York socialite, best known by the moniker “Catwoman” for her appearance due to numerous plastic surgeries, has reportedly died at the age of 84.

The Swiss-born ex-wife of billionaire Alec Wildenstein died Tuesday in Paris of a pulmonary embolism, according to French gossip Paris Match.

The former couple divorced in 1999 after more than 20 years of marriage and the birth of two children. In the divorce settlement, Jocelyne Wildenstein was awarded $2.5 billion in addition to $100 million in annual payments over the next 13 years. Yet her extravagant lifestyle depleted that fortune to $0, according to her 2018 Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.

Wildenstein was born Jocelyne Périsset in Lausanne, Switzerland on May 8, 1940. She first hit the socialite scene when she started dating the Swiss film producer Cyril Piguet when she was only 17.

In 1973, Wildenstein received his first and only film credit in “Servez-vous ladies” (which in English translates to “Help yourselves, ladies”).

She later dated another European producer, Italian Sergio Gobbi, and spent time between Africa and Europe.

Wildenstein and her future ex-husband Alec were introduced by the Saudi arms dealer and socialite Adnan Khashoggi. They eloped in Las Vegas in 1978 after a brief romance. A little more than a year after tying the knot, Jocelyne and Alec underwent “his and her eye lifts,” according to several interviews given over the years. This would be the first of many procedures that led Jocelyne Wildenstein to the look for which she became famous.

The The Wildensteins’ union came to a tumultuous end beginning in 1997 when Jocelyne says she found her husband in bed with a young Russian model. The Wildensteins maintained different accounts of the confrontation, with Jocelyne saying Alec pulled a gun on her and Alec saying he thought his wife was an intruder.

Thus began a contentious divorce case that would capture the attention of international tabloids as it dragged on for nearly two years. Wildenstein would continue to capture headlines for decades due to her lavish spending habits and the transformation of her face due to numerous cosmetic procedures.

Wildenstein is survived by his two children, Diane and Alec Jr.

This is a development story. Check back for updates.