Why did Jocelyn Wildenstein divorce billionaire husband Alec Wildenstein? Relationship explored

Jocelyn Wildenstein, known as the Catwoman for her unique feline facial features, was also notorious for her divorce settlements. The Swiss-born socialite was granted a staggering $2.5 billion in the late 1990s, in addition to $100 million a year, in the demise of her marriage to Alec Wildenstein, an art dealer and horse racer.

Alec and Jocelyn Wildenstein met each other in 1997, Vanity Fair has reported. Alec, a member of a prolific European family, tied the knot with the socialite just two years later when they eloped in Las Vegas. However, came 1997, they decided to part ways as Alec was reportedly caught philandering with a Russian model. Their divorce was finalized in 1999.

Everything we know about Jocelyn Wildenstein and her ex-husband's marriage as things eventually went sour between the two

Jocelyn Wildenstein, who passed away this week in Paris, met her husband while they were on a safari in Africa. At the time, Jocelyn was there for her ecological and philanthropy work, in addition to her love for the continent. It was then that the two began dating. Not long after, they began living in their new home in Kenya: Ol Jogi, which CNN claims was "her favorite of several new international homes."

Their love story spanned almost two decades, and their messy divorce lasted 2 years. Per the New York Times, Jocelyn claimed to have found her husband in bed with a Russian woman, and at the time, she also told police that he waved a loaded gun in her face.

The billionaire art dealer was consequently arrested and charged with harassing his wife. However, not long after, he was let go, though he was prohibited from coming in contact with Jocelyn, as well as entering their shared Manhattan home.

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, rumors blame Alec for reportedly encouraging his wife to go under the knife and transform her facial features into that of a feline. Per the outlet, Jocelyn once said that she underwent all the surgeries because Alec “hates to be with old people.” However, the latter brushed the claims off in an interview with Vanity Fair, saying of the “Bride of Wildenstein”:

"She was crazy. I would always find out last. She was thinking that she could fix her face like a piece of furniture. Skin does not work that way. But she wouldn’t listen.”

Wildenstein also accused Alec of planting stories in the press about her surgeries “and hired a publicist and paid a plastic surgeon to certify that I completely changed my face” to “win the divorce.” Following a contentious trial, a judge ruled that Alec was to bequeath $2.5 billion to Wildenstein in the settlement, in addition to $100 million annually for the next 13 years. However, he died in 2008.

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Jocelyn Wildenstein succumbed to a pulmonary embolism. Her exact age remains unknown. Some report that she was 79, while others say she was 84.

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