Jocelyn Wildenstein
Born
Jocelynnys Dayannys da Silva Bezerra Périsset

1945 or 1946 (age 78–79)
Lausanne, Switzerland
OccupationSocialite
Known forExtensive facial surgeries
Spouse
(m. 1978; div. 1999)
Children2

Jocelyn Alice Wildenstein[1] (née Jocelyne Périsset; born 1945/1946)[2] is a Swiss socialite[3] known for her extensive cosmetic surgery, resulting in her catlike appearance; her 1999 high-profile divorce from billionaire art dealer and businessman Alec Wildenstein;[4][5] and her extravagant lifestyle and subsequent bankruptcy filing.

Early life and relationships

Jocelyn Périsset was born in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1945 or 1946.[2][6] Her father Armand Périsset (died 12 March 1997 in Kenya) worked in a sporting goods store and her mother Liliane Périsset was a housewife.[2] She began dating Swiss Cyril Piguet, producer of the 1964 film Un commerce tranquille, at the age of 17.[7] She later lived in Paris with Italian French filmmaker Sergio Gobbi.[8] While there, she became a skilled hunter and pilot.[3]

Périsset was introduced to Alec N. Wildenstein, of the wealthy family of renowned art dealers,[9] by Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi at a shooting weekend at the Wildenstein African ranch "Ol Jogi" in 1977.[10][6] Périsset and Wildenstein eloped to Las Vegas on 30 April 1978[6] and had two children together.[11] There were suspicions that she may have been a prostitute before meeting Wildenstein, but it has never been proven ("Really? Well, they have to try to find something against me").[6]

The Wildensteins' divorce in 1999[4][10] was not amicable.[12] 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 Jocelyn with a gun.[13][14] This resulted in a night in jail for Alec Wildenstein.[14] The presiding judge, Marilyn Diamond, received death threats in the mail during the proceedings.[15] During her divorce, the judge stipulated that she could not use any alimony payments for further cosmetic surgery.[16] Jocelyn enlisted the services of Ed Rollins[8][17] for public relations assistance and at various times both Bernard Clair[8][18] and Kenneth Godt[19] for legal counsel. Wildenstein began dating fashion designer Lloyd Klein in 2003.[20] The couple split in 2016.[20]

Cosmetic surgery

Wildenstein has had extensive cosmetic surgeries to her face.[21] Her catlike appearance[22] has led media outlets to nickname her "Catwoman", "The Lion Queen", and "The Bride of Wildenstein".[23] She denies having excessive plastic surgery, citing her Swiss heritage,[22] but admitted to a multi-million dollar surgery to make her eyes more cat-like[24] which she did with her husband.[6] According to Alec Wildenstein, "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".[6]

Finances

Wildenstein is known for her extravagant life. She once calculated her yearly telephone bill at $60,000 and food and wine costs at $547,000.[9] Wildenstein received $2.5 billion in her divorce settlement (although this amount has been rumored to be as high as $3.8 billion[25]) and $100 million each year for the following 13 years.[26] The judge stipulated that she could not use any alimony payments for further cosmetic surgery.[16] Following her divorce, Wildenstein sold the marital home in New York to real estate developer Janna Bullock for $13 million.[27]

References

  1. "The Crazy Life of Billionaire Socialite Jocelyn Wildenstein". MSN. Archived from the original on May 10, 2017. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 Konigsberg 1997, p. 34.
  3. 1 2 McCracken 2008, p. 25.
  4. 1 2 Dunford 2009, p. 181.
  5. DeMello 2007, pp. 13, 36.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Jocelyne's Revenge". Vanity Fair. 1998-03-09. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  7. Konigsberg 1997, p. 35.
  8. 1 2 3 Carlin, Peter Ames (January 26, 1998). "Surgical Strike". People Magazine. 49 (3). ISSN 0093-7673. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  9. 1 2 Felder & Victor 2011.
  10. 1 2 Faith, Nicholas (February 22, 2008). "Alec Wildenstein: Art dealer and racehorse owner who divorced in a blaze of publicity". The Independent. Archived from the original on June 9, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
  11. Heigl, Alex (9 Dec 2016). "The Famous Life and Face of Jocelyn Wildenstein". People. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  12. Crowley 2005, pp. 164–165.
  13. "People & Places: Art dealer admits he pulled gun on wife". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. September 9, 2000. p. A2. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
  14. 1 2 Konigsberg 1997, p. 32.
  15. Felder 2004, pp. 122–126.
  16. 1 2 Portmann 2004, p. 66.
  17. Grove, Lloyd (June 9, 2000). "The Reliable Source". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
  18. Gupte, Pranay (May 17, 2005). "It's Personal for a Top NYC Divorce Lawyer". The Sun. New York. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
  19. "Jocelyn gives bankrupt beau the brush-off". New York Post. November 10, 1999. p. 30. Retrieved February 4, 2012. (subscription required) for full content.
  20. 1 2 "Jocelyn Wildenstein's Boyfriend Lloyd Klein Reveals What Happened the Night of the Attack". PEOPLE.com.
  21. Jones 2008, p. 123.
  22. 1 2 McCarthy, Tyler (February 13, 2018). "'Catwoman' Jocelyn Wildenstein denies having any plastic surgery, cites her Swiss heritage". Fox News.
  23. "The crazy life of billionaire socialite Jocelyn Wildenstein". PressFrom - AU.
  24. Wet, Nici de. "Stop posting fake pictures of me, rants Catwoman who claims she's never had plastic surgery". You. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  25. Corbett, Rachel (2023-08-23). "The Inheritance Case That Could Unravel an Art Dynasty". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  26. Petridou, Ria (September 29, 2011). "Queens of plastic: Jocelyn Wildenstein". Fashion Love. Archived from the original on September 30, 2011. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
  27. Greene, Penelope (July 26, 2007). "Buy High, Sell Higher". The New York Times. Retrieved February 4, 2012.

Bibliography – books

Bibliography – periodicals

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