1776Reporting
Before becoming known as the infamous “Catwoman,” Jocelyn Wildenstein was a natural beauty. The 82-year-old Swiss socialite, who has become a controversial figure due to her extensive plastic surgeries, recently shared a surprising glimpse of her original face in a tribute to her daughter, Diane.
In celebration of Diane’s birthday, Wildenstein posted a throwback photo on Instagram that captured her as a young mother, cradling her then-infant daughter. The picture, which shows a youthful Jocelyn sitting on a couch with Diane on her lap, offers a stark contrast to the heavily altered appearance she is known for today.
Dressed in a simple white shirt, Jocelyn’s blonde hair falls softly around her face, and she wears a bold dark-red lipstick that highlights her striking features. Both mother and daughter gaze off into the distance, seemingly lost in the moment. Alongside the image, Wildenstein wrote, “Happy Birthday to my beautiful daughter Diane Wildenstein #oljogi #jocelynwildenstein.”
Jocelyn Wildenstein, who became a household name during the 1990s, shares Diane and a son, Alec Jr., with her late ex-husband, Alec Wildenstein. Alec, a billionaire art dealer, passed away in 2008 after battling prostate cancer. Their highly publicized divorce, which resulted in Jocelyn receiving an eye-popping $2.5 billion settlement and an additional $100 million annually for several years, propelled her into the spotlight.
The couple’s split was marked by scandal and accusations, with Jocelyn alleging that Alec openly flaunted his extramarital affairs. Amid the drama, stories began circulating about the drastic changes to Jocelyn’s appearance. Many speculated that Alec’s love of big cats inspired her to undergo surgeries to achieve a more feline look.
However, Alec denied influencing Jocelyn’s decision to alter her appearance. In a 1998 interview with Vanity Fair, Alec stated, “She was crazy. 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.”
Jocelyn, on the other hand, once claimed that her transformation was motivated by her desire to stay youthful, as Alec “hates to be with old people.” But she later clarified that Alec never pressured her into getting surgery. “He never pushed me… No, he all the time told me that I look very young,” she explained in the same interview. She added with a touch of irony, “Until the day you don’t look young enough!”
Despite the extreme alterations to her appearance, Jocelyn insists that some of her features are natural. She has pointed out in the past, “The lynx has perfect eyes. If I show you pictures of my grandmother, what you see is these eyes — cat eyes — and high cheekbones.”
In recent years, Jocelyn’s life has taken a challenging turn. After being cut off from her $100 million annual divorce settlement by Alec’s former family, she has faced financial difficulties, even filing for bankruptcy in 2018. “I have a huge problem with my settlement,” she revealed in a 2023 interview with The Telegraph. “Since eight years, they have completely cut me off.”
To address her financial woes, Jocelyn has reportedly been working on a documentary about her life, hoping to shed light on her journey and generate income. “She now really wants to talk about her life, what drove her, how she built a business with her fiancé in the craziness of their life together in New York,” her publicist shared with Page Six in 2021. However, the documentary has yet to be released.
Currently, Jocelyn is in a relationship with fashion designer Lloyd Klein, 57, whom she met in 2003 during New York Fashion Week. Their relationship has been tumultuous, with the most notable incident occurring in 2016 when a heated argument escalated into a physical altercation. Jocelyn allegedly attacked Klein, clawing his face and slashing him with scissors. Klein allegedly shoved her in response. Both were arrested, but charges against Klein were dropped due to lack of evidence, and Jocelyn’s charges were dismissed after they reconciled.
Despite the ups and downs, the couple remains together and is now engaged, continuing their long and complicated relationship.
Jocelyn Wildenstein’s life has been nothing short of extraordinary. From her early days as a natural beauty to her transformation into the “Catwoman,” she has captivated the public with her dramatic story. As she continues to navigate life’s challenges, her recent Instagram post serves as a poignant reminder of the person she once was — and perhaps, still is beneath it all.
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