Jocelyn Wildenstein is an American socialite known for her extensive cosmetic surgery, resulting in her catlike appearance; her 1999 high-profile divorce from billionaire art dealer and businessman Alec Wildenstein; and her extravagant lifestyle and subsequent bankruptcy filing.
Early life and relationships
Jocelynnys Dayannys da Silva Bezerra Périsset was born in Lausanne, Switzerland on August 5, 1940. Her father worked in a sporting goods store. She began dating Cyril Piguet, a Swiss movie producer, at the age of 17. She later lived in Paris with Italian French filmmaker Sergio Gobbi. While there, she became a skilled hunter and pilot. Périsset was introduced to Alec N. Wildenstein by Saudi arms dealerAdnan Khashoggi at a shooting weekend at the Wildenstein African ranch "Ol Jogi". Périsset and Wildenstein were married when they were both in their 30s and had two children together. The Wildensteins' divorce in 1999 was not amicable. Jocelyn walked in on her husband and a 19-year-old Russian model in her bedroom at the Wildenstein New York home, and he threatened her with a gun. This resulted in a night in jail for Alec Wildenstein. The presiding judge, Marilyn Diamond, received death threats in the mail during the proceedings. During her divorce, the judge stipulated that she could not use any alimony payments for further cosmetic surgery. Jocelyn enlisted the services of Ed Rollins for public relations assistance and both Bernard Clair and Kenneth Godt for legal counsel. Wildenstein began dating fashion designerLloyd Klein in 2003. Following highly publicized domestic incidents, the couple split in 2016.
Cosmetic surgery
Wildenstein has had extensive cosmetic surgeries to her face. Her catlike appearance has led media outlets to nickname her "Catwoman", "The Lion Queen", and "The Bride of Wildenstein". She denies having any plastic surgery, citing her Swiss heritage.
Finances
Wildenstein is known for her extravagant lifestyle. She once calculated her yearly telephone bill at $60,000 and food and wine costs at $547,000. Wildenstein received $2.5 billion in her divorce settlement and $100 million each year for the following 13 years. The judge stipulated that she could not use any alimony payments for further cosmetic surgery. Following her divorce, Wildenstein sold the marital home in New York to real estate developer Janna Bullock for $13 million. In 2018, she filed for bankruptcy.
