Jocelyn Wildenstein stirs up emotions with her ”new” face.
The billionaire socialite, often dubbed ‘Catwoman’ turned heads during Paris Fashion Week – and everyone is saying the same thing…
She has ”never” undergone plastic surgery
Despite mixed reactions to her appearance — some praising her bold confidence, while others criticize her extreme transformation — Jocelyn Wildenstein remains unfazed by public opinion. The 84-year-old billionaire socialite continues to deny undergoing extensive surgeries, claiming her distinctive looks are the result of her ”Swiss heritage.”
In a recent interview with The Sun, Jocelyn Wildenstein once again stated that she has ”never” undergone plastic surgery, despite the rumors and speculation surrounding her appearance. She explained that she is fearful of the potential results and the risks involved with such procedures
”I haven’t had plastic surgery. I am scared of what can happen, and I don’t like to have something heavy. Sometimes it is a bit heavy and terrible,” Ms Wildenstein told the newspaper.
Jocelyn at the Paris Fashion Week
But is that the whole truth? Doubts were once again cast when the 84-year-old socialite appeared at Paris Fashion Week in late September/October this year.
Dressed in a daring mesh top paired with figure-hugging, leather-look leggings, Wildenstein came with her long-time boyfriend, Lloyd David Klein. It was the first time in a long while that she was seen in public. Wildenstein attended several fashion shows alongside her 57-year-old Canadian-born French designer boyfriend.
Their relationship began back in 2003 at New York Fashion Week. Since then, Klein has been a constant in Jocelyn’s life, and he even proposed to her in 2017.
Lloyd Klein has also been asked about his girlfriend’s unique appearance. He explained that he couldn’t understand why Jocelyn had been dubbed ”The Catwoman.”
”She never really did anything to change her face. I have pictures from 16 years old where she looks exactly the same as today,” said Klein.
Drastic transformation
But the recent photos from Paris have left many unconvinced by the couple’s statements about Jocelyn Wildenstein’s alleged lack of cosmetic surgery.
What drew fresh attention this time was the contrast between her claims of natural beauty rooted in her “Swiss heritage” and her heavily altered facial features. Fans and critics alike were quick to point out that her appearance had significantly changed once again.
”What happened to her face?”
According to The Sun, Jocelyn has spent around $6.7 million on plastic surgery over the years. And many viewers couldn’t help but comment on her drastic transformation, with one user asking, “Who the hell is that and what happened to her face?”
Others were less than kind, with one remarking, “Some people have a hard time growing old gracefully!” Meanwhile, a third netizen offered a critique of Wildenstein’s decisions, saying, “Proof that just because you are a billionaire does not mean you have common sense.”
Some even claimed that she now struggles to move her mouth properly due to her transformation.
The conversation around Jocelyn Wildenstein’s appearance gained further momentum when Oli London, a British internet personality known for undergoing multiple cosmetic surgeries to resemble Jimin, a member of the K-pop group BTS, posted a video featuring Wildenstein on X (formerly Twitter).
The reactions to the video were intense, with many expressing shock and concern over Jocelyn Wildenstein’s new face.
One person commented, ”The doctors who did this to her face should be in jail,” while another added, ”With that amount of plastic, she would require to be recycled in New York, just sayin.” A third user wrote, ”Her face looks like it’s just about to explode, the skin is stretched so tight!!! Like when you blow up a balloon too much. She is scary looking. 😳”
“He never pushed me… ”
While many have criticized Jocelyn Wildenstein’s extreme appearance, there is a vocal group of supporters who defend her decisions, suggesting that her troubled past plays a significant role in her transformation.
Some believe that the billionaire socialite’s drastic surgeries are a response to personal struggles, particularly the emotional toll of her divorce from her ex-husband, the late French billionaire Alec Wildenstein.
Jocelyn Wildenstein initially claimed that she changed her appearance because her ex-husband Alec Wildenstein hated ”to be with old people.” However, she later revisited her stance on the role of her marriage in her extensive plastic surgeries in a Vanity Fair interview.
“He never pushed me… No, he all the time told me that I look very young,” she said, adding, “Until the day you don’t look young enough!”
In 1997, their marriage broke down after Jocelyn found her husband in bed with a young model. The divorce was messy and dragged on for two years as the parties negotiated. The press revealed every detail, and Jocelyn’s eye-catching appearance was not to her advantage.
Financial problems
The tabloids named her “The Bride of Wildenstein.” It went so far that Jocelyn was forced to hire Edward Rollins, National Campaign Director for the successful Reagan-Bush 1984 campaign, to handle her PR.
In the end, Jocelyn Wildenstein received an extraordinary $2.5 billion settlement following her divorce from her ex-husband. Additionally, she was awarded $100 million annually for the following 13 years, securing her financial future.
However, things took a different turn last year when Jocelyn Wildenstein revealed that Alec’s former family severed ties with her, cutting off the $100 million annual payment from her divorce settlement, leaving Jocelyn facing financial difficulties.
“I have a huge problem with my settlement,” she said to The Telegraph in 2023. “Since eight years, they have completely cut me off.”
Before “Catwoman”, she was a natural beauty
Before earning the nickname “Catwoman” due to her extreme cosmetic surgeries, Jocelyn Wildenstein was once considered a natural beauty.
Growing up in Switzerland, she was known for her striking looks, which caught the attention of many. Some old photos of Jocelyn Wildenstein show her natural beauty in her younger days.
Whether or not she underwent extensive surgeries is open to personal interpretation, but one thing Jocelyn admits to is trying Botox. However, she didn’t have a positive experience with it. “I don’t like the Botox. Everyone has a different reaction to it,” she shared.“I have had Botox only twice. I don’t know if I am allergic, but when I had it, it did not go well with me. It was not a good result. My face swelled up.”
Jocelyn Wildenstein’s dramatic transformation has certainly turned heads, but the real question remains: is it an expression of confidence, or a deeper reflection of societal pressures on beauty and age? While some admire her boldness, others see it as a tragic quest for perfection. What do you think?