Tearful friends and loved ones have gathered today in Paris to say a final farewell to Swiss socialite Jocelyn Wildenstein.
The former billionaire, known as ‘catwoman’ because of her numerous cosmetic surgeries, passed away from a pulmonary embolism on New Year’s Eve in Paris at the age of 79.
Her partner, fashion designer Lloyd Klein, aged 57, appeared somber as he led mourners at the funeral, dressed in a black velvet jacket, trousers, and shirt, complemented by black gloves and his iconic sunglasses.
He was embraced by dozens of tearful grievers dressed in fashionable outfits before the group of mourners headed into the crematorium.
Wildenstein, famous for her extensive plastic surgeries that gave her a feline-like appearance, received a final touch-up as airbrushed photos of her were displayed for the mourners.
One image, taken in 2004, showed Wildenstein looking dramatically different to usual while a second, more recent, image from a fashion show in New York in 2022 had also been given a vigorous edit.
The ‘small and private’ ceremony was held at Père Lachaise Cemetery, the largest cemetery in Paris and most visited in the world which overlooks the city of lights.
The service for Wildenstein, who described herself as an ‘art dealer’, is where a number of famous figures in the art world are laid to rest, including authors Oscar Wilde and Gertrude Stein as well as American singer Jim Morrison.
The graveyard covers around 110 acres in the centre of the French capital and is also where the likes of Edith Piaf, Sarah Berhardt, Molière, Frederic Chopin and Colette rest.
Following the ceremony, Wildenstein’s ashes will be taken to Kenya to her ranch at the Ol Jogi Wildlife Conservancy, where her mother and father’s ashes are also scattered.
Jocelyn Wildenstein’s fiancé Lloyd Klein cut a solemn figure on Thursday as he arrived for her funeral in Paris
The invitation to the ceremony, which began at 3pm, read: ‘It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of…Jocelyne Wildenstein. September 7-1945 ~ December 31-2024.
‘She will be deeply missed but fondly remembered.’
The intimate ceremony was held this afternoon with around 40 people gathering in the crematorium.
As mourners walked in, old videos of Wildenstein in glamorous outfits were played on the television screens.
As her coffin was carried in, music from the film Out of Africa was played out, in reference to the months of her life Wildenstein spent in Kenya.
The ceremony was bilingual with readings taking place in both English and French.
Reverend Dr Keith Magee, paying tribute to Wildenstein, told the congregation: ‘We gather here today to celebrate Jocelyn’s life.
The service reminisced on Jocelyn’s extraordinary life through an array of photoshopped pictures – giving her one final airbrushed tweak. Jocelyn and Lloyd are pictured at a gala in 2004 and right, the unedited version
While the music played out Klein poignantly placed a kiss on top of the wooden coffin
The former billionaire, dubbed ‘catwoman’ due to the many cosmetic procedures she underwent during her lifetime, died suddenly from a pulmonary embolism on New Year’s Eve in the French capital at age 79. Pictured in 2015
Another edited picture of the Catwoman shown – keeping up her love of alterations until the end
An unedited version shows Bryan Boy, Jocelyn Wildenstein, Lloyd Klein FENDI 25th Anniversary of the Baguette, Hammerstein Ballroom, NYC, Manhattan, New York in September 2022
Tearful friends and loved ones have gathered today in Paris to say a final farewell to the Swiss socialite
The ‘small and private’ ceremony was held at Père Lachaise Cemetery, the largest cemetery in Paris
‘Jocelyn chose the path that was uniquely her own. She embraced love unconditionally.
‘We gather to bid her farewell as we cherish and gather her memory in our hearts and honour her life with kindness and openness that she gave to us. …
‘Of course the person she loved most was Lloyd. And when she could not see him she would shout “LouLou” until she found him again with the biggest smile.’
Her make up artist Alexis Stone added in a personal reading: ‘The world was and will forever be fascinated by her life and past but Jocelyne was so looking forward to the future.’
He added: ‘In any room she entered who without trying commanded the attention of everyone.
‘She always went above and beyond to make others feel safe and happy.’
A reading from Ecclesiastes 3.1-3.4 was also read out before tributes were paid from Klein and Wildenstein’s local rabbi.
A second reading was a poem called When Tomorrow Starts Without Me.
Lloyd, 57, had announced Jocelyn’s tragic death, which occurred on New Year’s Eve
Tragically, the couple had been lying down for a nap before their New Year’s Eve festivities began but when Klein woke up he found his partner lying cold next to him
Can You Feel the Love Tonight – famed by the Lion King – was played while the congregation surrounded her coffin and laid down pink roses.
While the music played out Klein poignantly placed a kiss on top of the wooden coffin.
The plastic-surgery addict had been staying in Paris in her final months after fleeing from Miami in August.
At the time of her death, Wildenstein had ignored multiple court orders relating to her sum allegedly owed to Regal Jewellery and Gift Shop $268,000 for gems she never returned to them – plus a further $75,928 in interest.
On October 23 she failed to attend a contempt hearing in Florida, where she was also facing eviction from her beachside apartment. It is unknown if they were planning to return to America.
It led Judge Migna Sanchez-Llorens to order sheriffs in the Sunshine State to take Wildenstein to custody or lock her up in jail until she could be taken to court.
After arriving in Paris, however, Wildenstein and her toyboy partner stayed in a lavish suite that cost an astonishing £13,000-a-week.
Despite facing arrest for her huge unpaid debt, the one-time billionaire was spending £1,850 a night on a set of luxury rooms with views of the Eiffel Tower.
Her partner Lloyd was embraced by dozens of tearful grievers dressed in fashionable outfits before the group of mourners headed into the crematorium
A bouquet of flowers is brought into the Crematorium ahead of a service for the Catwoman
Lloyd cut a solemn figure today as he led mourners through the cemetery wearing black velvet jacket, black trousers and shirt paired with black gloves and his signature sunglasses
It was a final act of extravagance for the larger-than-life socialite whose lavish lifestyle saw her once even file for bankruptcy despite at one point receiving a $2billion divorce settlement.
In the nineties Wildenstein happily admitted to spending $1million a month before her acrimonious split from her first husband, art dealer husband Alec Wildenstein.
She had been introduced to Alec by Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, at one time said to be the world’s richest man, and they bonded over big game hunting before eloping to marry in Las Vegas in 1978.
They had two children together before their very public divorce two decades later at which she told how he had pulled a gun on her when she found him in bed with a young model and he claimed she had been a high-class prostitute before they met.
The divorce – and Jocelyn’s astonishingly contorted features following plastic surgery procedures in hopes of making her look like a cat – made the Wildensteins household names around the world.
According to Wildenstein’s partner, her cause of death was a pulmonary embolism, with her chronic medical condition called phlebitis – a condition which causes the blood vessels to become inflamed – also being noted.
Tragically, the couple had been lying down for a nap before their New Year’s Eve festivities began but when Klein woke up he found his partner lying cold next to him.
Speaking to AFP after her sudden death, Mr Klein said: ‘We had spent a good hour together that evening and we were getting ready for the New Year, and we took a little nap just to get in shape before getting dressed.
Can You Feel the Love Tonight – famed by the Lion King – was played while the congregation surrounded her coffin and laid down pink roses
Lloyd Klein attends Jocelyne Wildenstein’s funeral at Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise on January 23
The order of service for Jocelyn at the Paris Crematorium paid tribute to her with a glamorous photo
The funeral for Jocelyne Wildenstein ‘Catwoman’ is taking place at Crematorium du Pere Lachaise in Paris
The socialite was nicknamed Catwoman because she reportedly had many facial cosmetic procedures in the hopes of resembling a cat, passed away on Tuesday in Paris. Seen in 1998
She was last seen looking healthy on December 18 in Paris. The star smiled at onlookers while in a coat, leggings and boots as she wore black sunglasses and her blonde hair in soft waves over her shoulders. With partner Lloyd Klein
Seen in 2022 in NYC
‘Because of her phlebitis [inflammation of the veins close to the skin], her legs were very, very swollen, and the blood was blocked, and there was no oxygen to her brain.
‘We were taking a nap and when I woke up, I said, ‘Jocelyn, we have to get up, we have to get dressed,’ but she was cold and she was dead.’
Mr Klein added: ‘It is extremely sad to lie down with your other half that I have known for 21 years and to wait to celebrate New Year’s Eve and to find her cold.’
In the weeks leading up to her death, Wildenstein continued to live in extravagance.
The couple were known to dine at Laurent, an upmarket restaurant just a short walk from their property where main courses start at £70.
They were also seen partying at the Ritz, sipping on drinks at the iconic Hotel Plaza Athénée and attending multiple events at Paris Fashion Week.
And just a few days before her death, Wildenstein had been pictured dressed in a glamorous all-black outfit, with her partner since claiming she had been in ‘perfect health’.
The two had been taking a nap at their residence in preparation for their ‘magnificient’ New Year’s Eve celebrations when the tragedy struck.
The socialite and social media star’s death was announced on New Year’s Day, with her longtime partner Lloyd Klein confirming she passed from a pulmonary embolism
The farewell for Jocelyn comes weeks after her death on New Year’s Eve
Jocelyn lived a life of luxury with Wildenstein, but they divorced in 2000, allegedly after she discovered his infidelities. She won a stunning $2.5B in the divorce, plus $100M to be paid annually for 13 years; pictured in 1997 in Manhattan
But the lion-faced socialite frittered away the fortune through extravagant purchases. She also claims a painting comprising part of her trust turned out to be a forgery, while another was auctioned for tens of millions less than expected; seen in 2017 in NYC
Wildenstein at Cartier in Beverly Hills in 2005
Wildenstein was arrested for assault in 2016 after slashing Klein’s face with scissors, and he was arrested for robbery and assault days later while allegedly trying to take his belongings from her apartment. But the two reunited and are together to this day; seen in 2017 in NYC
A few hours before her death, Ms Wildenstein shared a melancholy video from her hotel suite.
It was not clear exactly when it was recorded, but it was her last post on Instagram, and potentially her last message to the world.
The video was accompanied by a disturbing voiceover by Fanny Ardant, the 75-year-old French actor and director, and included the words: ‘When things end, I think everything ends.’
The Swiss-born star came from humble origins before she married Alec N. Wildenstein in 1978, who was the son of the French art dealer and horse breeder Daniel Wildenstein.
Yet it was only after their split that the socialite received billions from her ex-husband.
Following her divorce from Alec N. Wildenstein, Jocelyn began dating Klein in 2003.
The two later got engaged, but they have had a bumpy relationship over the years.
In 2016, Wildenstein was arrested for slashing Klein’s face with scissors during a fight at her Trump Tower apartment.
Klein was subsequently arrested days later for robbery and assault after he allegedly tried to retrieve some of his belongings from Wildenstein’s apartment.
But the couple later reunited.
