Jocelyn Wildenstein, a New York socialite who became known around the world as “Catwoman” thanks to her obsession with plastic surgery, has died.
Wildenstein achieved global notoriety in the 1990s when she divorced her billionaire art dealer husband Alec Wildenstein. During their headline-making split, Wildenstein was nicknamed “Catwoman” and the “Bride of Wildenstein” because of her feline-like appearance.
“Because of her phlebitis, the legs were very, very swollen, and the blood was blocked, and there was no oxygen in the brain,” he said.
But Klein said that Wildenstein was in good health in recent weeks.
“We were at the Ritz two days ago. We were having dinner,” he shared. “Before that, we had come for Fashion Week at Chanel. Everything was good, everything was good.”
“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,” he said.
Klein told the outlet that when it was time to get ready, Wildenstein had died.
“When I (woke) up, I said, ‘Jocelyn, we have to wake up, we have to get dressed,’ and she was cold and she was dead,” he said.
Klein said he was heartbroken by Wildenstein’s death.
“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,” he said.
“I married Alec in Las Vegas in ’78, and right away we flew to Texas and started working on one of the biggest private collections in America. For 20 years we built this collection together,” she told Interview.
Alec also refuted claims that he played a part in his former wife’s enhancement obsession, telling the magazine: “I would always find out last. She was thinking that she could fix her face like a piece of furniture. Skin does not work that way. But she wouldn’t listen.”
“I am not employed and my only income is Social Security,” Wildenstein said in an affidavit. “I often turn to friends and family in order to pay my ongoing expenses.”
According to the outlet, the show was centred around Wildenstein’s life as she moved from Miami to Los Angeles. After years in and out of the spotlight, Wildenstein was hoping the program would give audiences a glimpse into her life.
The series doesn’t have a distributor, but sources told TMZ she was “happy,” “healthy,” and “a joy to work with” during filming.