'Catwoman' Jocelyn Wildenstein's partner shares socialite's final moments, cause of death
Jocelyn Wildenstein, better known as "Catwoman" from her numerous cosmetic procedures, has died.
Wildenstein died "peacefully" in her sleep on Tuesday, Dec. 31, while taking a nap, her longtime partner Lloyd Klein revealed to People.
Klein, a fashion designer, shared memories of Wildenstein during her final hours of life.
‘CATWOMAN’ JOCELYN WILDENSTEIN DENIES HAVING ANY PLASTIC SURGERY, CITES HER SWISS HERITAGE
"We had a nice happy hour the same night, and we were getting ready for the new year, and we took a little nap just to look good before getting dressed," he told the media outlet.
Klein shared that the Swiss socialite died from phlebitis, or thrombophlebitis, a condition that causes a blood clot to form and block one or more veins, often in the legs, according to the Mayo Clinic.
"Because of her phlebitis, the legs were very, very swollen, and the blood was blocked, and there was no oxygen in the brain," Klein said. "And we were having a nap… when I [woke] up, I said, 'Jocelyn, we have to wake up, we have to get dressed,' and she was cold and she was dead."
"It's very sad. It's extremely sad," he remarked. "It's extremely sad to lay down with your other half that I know for 21 years… waiting to celebrate New Year's Eve and to find her cold."
Klein added that his partner’s health condition was "perfect" around the holidays leading up to New Year’s Eve. Wildenstein’s grandmother also had phlebitis.
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"We were at the Ritz two days ago. We were having dinner," Klein shared. "Before that, we had come for Fashion Week at Chanel. Everything was good, everything was good."
"We were at the Ritz. We were having parties. She was in great shape. She was in impeccable health," he added.
"Two months ago, she attended the Chanel show. Everyone invited us to dinner. Everyone welcomed her with red carpet. Paparazzi were following us. It was the return to Paris. We were at the top of our game. Everything was at the top," he remembered.
Wildenstein's addiction to plastic surgery earned her the feline moniker after her facial features turned cat-like.
Born Jocelyne Perisset, the Swiss socialite first made headlines in the 1990s following her divorce from billionaire art collector Alec Wildenstein.
Shortly after her divorce from Alec, Wildenstein began dating Klein. They were together nearly 15 years before he proposed.
Meanwhile, her divorce from Wildenstein made her one of the wealthiest people in the world when she received a $2.5 billion settlement.
Additionally, Wildenstein received millions in annual payments from her ex-husband.
By 2018, though, her money ran out, and she filed for bankruptcy.
"I am not employed and my only income is Social Security," Wildenstein wrote in an affidavit at the time. "I often turn to friends and family in order to pay my ongoing expenses."
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The same year, she discredited cosmetic surgery for her features, and instead said her Swiss heritage gave her "high cheekbones and long hair." When asked by DailyMailTV if she had any plastic surgery, she denied going under the knife.
"No, especially when we look back at my pictures - I think of course I am maybe more beautiful [back then]," she said. "When we are young there’s a certain freshness we lose with the years. But you still find the same eyes, same high cheeks or same nose. I think I was more pretty."
Wildenstein was arrested in December 2016 over allegations she attacked Klein with her nails. Meanwhile, charges were brought against Klein after Wildenstein alleged he shoved her in an altercation at their Trump World Tower residence. Both were cleared of their charges.
She is survived by daughter Diane and son Alec Jr.