Jocelyn Wildenstein is famous primarily for her highly publicized cosmetic surgery, which led to her distinctive cat-like facial appearance and earned her the nickname “Catwoman.”[1] She also attracted significant media attention for her extravagant lifestyle, her 1999 high-profile and contentious divorce from billionaire art dealer Alec Wildenstein, and her subsequent bankruptcy filing.[1] Media stories about Wildenstein have frequently focused on her transformation; she reportedly began altering her appearance in the 1980s, allegedly influenced by her ex-husband’s love of big cats, although she has repeatedly denied undergoing extensive surgery.[2]
Her life and dramatic transformation made her a cultural icon—a fixture in tabloids and television, inspiring fascination and debate about beauty, excess, and self-reinvention.[5] Despite her denials of multiple surgeries, uncontested reports and visual comparisons emphasize her enduring status as one of the most recognized socialites of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.[6]