Tearful friends and loved ones have gathered today in Paris to say a final farewell to Swiss socialite Jocelyn Wildenstein.
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 aged 84.
Her fashion designer partner Lloyd Klein, 57, cut a solemn figure today as he led mourners through the cemetery wearing a black velvet jacket, black trousers and shirt paired with black gloves and his signature sunglasses.
He was embraced by dozens of tearful grievers dressed in fashionable outfits before the group of mourners headed into the crematorium.
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.
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.
‘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.
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.
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.
‘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.
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.
