The 57-year-old French fashion designer told People that she died while taking a nap on New Year’s Eve (December 31) in Paris.
Klein sent the following statement to AFP: “It is with a heavy heart and with great sadness that Mr. Lloyd Klein announces the unexpected death of his beloved fiancée and longtime companion, Jocelyne Wildenstein.”
The news release continued: “Mrs. Wildenstein died peacefully in her sleep in the late afternoon of December 31st, 2024, in her… suite in Paris, where the couple had taken temporary residence since August of 2024.”
Klein stated that he attempted to rouse Wildenstein from her siesta so she could prepare for New Year’s Eve supper, but she was sadly unresponsive.
After her death, he told People, “We had a nice happy hour that night and were getting ready for the new year, so we took a little nap just to look good before getting dressed.”
When questioned about Wildenstein’s cause of death, the 57-year-old stated, “Because of her phlebitis, the legs were very, very swollen, the blood was blocked, and there was no oxygen in the brain.”
“And we were having a nap, and when I woke up, I said, ‘Jocelyn, we have to wake up; we have to get dressed,’ only to find her cold and dead.”
“It’s quite sad. “It’s very sad,” Klein remarked. “It’s extremely sad to lay down with your other half, whom I’ve known for 21 years, and wait to celebrate New Year’s Eve, only to find her cold.”
Klein stated that Wildenstein’s ailment, which her grandmother also had, did not impair their vacation because her health had been ‘excellent’ just days before.
“We visited the Ritz two days ago. “We were having dinner,” he explained. “Earlier, we had arrived at Chanel for Fashion Week.” Everything was good.
Wildenstein, of New York, rose to prominence following her 1997 divorce from ex-husband and art dealer Alec Wildenstein, with whom she had been together for 20 years and had two children.
Two years later, they finalized their divorce, which at the time was the most expensive in history, with her receiving a record $2.5 billion—but not all at once.
The courts ordered that Wildenstein would get $100 million each year, but following Alec’s death in 2008, his family claimed his fortune.
She was still getting her half of the divorce settlement until 2015, when Alec’s relatives allegedly cut her off.
Three years later, she declared bankruptcy.
Wildenstein, née Périsset, was born in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1940, and despite her extensive use of plastic surgery, which earned her the nickname ‘Catwoman’ due to her feline look, she claimed she had never undergone surgery.
To commemorate her daughter’s birthday in August last year, the socialite shared an unexpected flashback photo that revealed what her face formerly looked like.
The message included the following: “Happy Birthday to my beautiful daughter Diane Wildenstein #oljogi #jocelynwildenstein.”
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The portrait shows her as a blonde bombshell, resembling a Bond girl, as she cradles her daughter Diane, who is now 45.
In June of last year, Wildenstein came to Instagram to upload a photo of herself as a teenager, with a comment criticizing others for ‘photoshopping’ her images.
She commented, “That’s me, Jocelyn Wildenstein, at ballet classes in Switzerland at the age of 15.”
“Maybe you should stop speculating about my appearance!” Press the Stop button! Quit, please, and quit photoshopping my pics since you are all [100%] incorrect.
“Stop posting fake images of me.”