FALL OF THE
LOCKED in a police cell, her mugshot released for her sneering critics to gloat over, Jocelyn Wildenstein knew she had hit rock bottom.
Having lost contact with her children, her £2billion divorce payout all but gone and with no payments from her ex-late husband’s estate for almost two years, she had now also lost the man she loves.
Lloyd Klein had walked out after Jocelyn – dubbed Catwoman due to her feline appearance after cosmetic surgery costing £5million – lashed out at him like a tiger, scratching his face and drawing blood.
Jocelyn, 71, said: “In life, we take our frustrations out on those we love the most, and I directed mine towards Lloyd. I let my frustration turn to anger, and it was wrong.
“I saw red and turned into a woman possessed. I lashed out like an angry cat.
“The fight with Lloyd was when I’d hit rock bottom. I felt I’d reached the end of the line and just snapped.”
But now, two months on, the Sunday Mirror can reveal the pair have reunited after charges she faced over the incident were dropped on Wednesday, Lloyd’s 50th birthday.
Jocelyn said: “I’m so grateful to have such a strong and noble man by my side that I didn’t end up facing jail.”
In their first joint interview since then, the couple have exclusively laid bare their explosive fight – and told of the financial troubles that led to it.
As well as clawing his face, Jocelyn had attacked her partner of 14 years with scissors and doused him with hot candle wax. He then locked her in a closet to prevent any further attack.
Jocelyn said: “Lloyd locked me in the closet for his own safety. I called the doorman to get me out. I thought I’d be trapped for days.
“No one took the call, so I called the police.”
MUGSHOT
Lloyd refused to press charges but officers took Jocelyn away and charged her with assault.
She said: “Lloyd did not want to press charges but they took one look at his face, and I was arrested.”
Her mugshot and fingerprints were taken and, when she returned to their New York penthouse in the Trump World Tower, fashion designer Lloyd had moved out.
When he returned three days later to pick up some belongings, she called police claiming he had pushed her to the ground, causing minor injuries.
There was “no physical evidence of an altercation” but Canadian-born Lloyd was arrested and charged with robbery and assault. At the time he accused her of calling the police out of “revenge” before the charges were dropped.
The pair had been banned from going within 1,000 yards of one another or communicating by phone, email or text as authorities weighed up the competing accusations.
However, the case against Jocelyn was dismissed last week and that night the couple rekindled their love as they celebrated Lloyd’s birthday. Lloyd, who is in remission from cancer, said they are now planning their future together and deeply regret their fight. “It got out of hand,” he admitted. “We’ve been together 14 years, we were never at war, and we’re still in love.
“It came at a terribly difficult time for both us. Christmas was coming and, of course, people’s thoughts turn to family at the time, as did Jocelyn’s.
“Emotions were running high. The fact she’s been cut out of the estate and not seeing her children was all too much.”
Jocelyn, also known as the Bride of Wildenstein, became the world’s most infamous divorcee after landing a £2billion settlement from ex-husband Alec Wildenstein, with £80million a year for the first 13 years and £90,000 a month thereafter.
But the judge ruled she could not use any of the cash for further cosmetic