Filler-loving cosmetologist stands trial over death of Kim Kardashian doppelganger who died after receiving silicone butt injections
The jury trial has begun for a California cosmetologist accused of killing a Kim Kardashian lookalike after allegedly injecting her with a botched cosmetic treatment. Vivian Alexandra Gomez, 53, pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the 2023 death of Christina Ashten Gourkani, 34, with jury selection underway Monday at the Hall of Justice in Redwood City, according to KRON News.Gourkani, a popular OnlyFans model, died from respiratory failure and a pulmonary embolism just one day after undergoing illegal butt-enhancement injections, prosecutors said.Nearly three years later, Gomez faces involuntary manslaughter and practicing medicine without a license charges, along with great bodily injury enhancements. She remains out of custody on $200,000 bail and was ordered to surrender her US and Colombian passports, with the court prohibiting her from leaving California without a GPS tracking device, according to CBS News. Gourkani, of San Jose, racked up millions of views on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube for her uncanny resemblance to Hollywood's Kim Kardashian.She found the allegedly unlicensed Gomez online, reached out and hired her to perform an 'illegal gluteal silicone injection,' prosecutors said.On April 19, 2023, Gomez flew to San Francisco and met Gourkani and her fiancé at the Burlingame Marriott Hotel to perform the procedure. The trial has begun for Vivian Alexandra Gomez (pictured), 53, a cosmetologist accused of killing 34-year-old Christina Ashten Gourkani after performing an 'illegal gluteal silicone injection' Gourkani, a popular OnlyFans model, died from respiratory failure and a pulmonary embolism just a day after receiving the procedure in 2023 Gourkani racked up millions of views on social media for her uncanny resemblance to Hollywood's Kim Kardashian (pictured) Gourkani (pictured) found Gomez online and reached out with the goal of enlarging her buttocks, prosecutors saidWhile at the hotel, Gourkani received at least two injections of what was supposed to be gluteal silicone, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe revealed, according to the Los Angeles Times.But immediately after the procedure, Wagstaffe said the model became extremely ill and went into distress, experiencing convulsions.Her fiancé called 911 and Gourkani was rushed to Mills-Peninsula Hospital, where she died the following day. 'In the early morning hours at approximately 4:31am our family received a tragic phone call from a family member who was frantically screaming and crying hysterically on the other end of the line,' her family wrote in a GoFundMe.They were desperately shouting, 'Ashten is dying, Ashten is dying.''A phone call that instantly shattered our world and will forever haunt our family for the rest of our lives,' the statement added.Gourkani’s family said that police were investigating her death as a homicide tied to a 'medical procedure that took a turn for the worse,' according to the Los Angeles Times.An autopsy later revealed that Gourkani died from an embolism and toxins in her system, the district attorney said. In April of 2023, Gomez flew to San Francisco and met Gourkani and her fiancé at the Burlingame Marriott Hotel (pictured) to perform the procedure Gourkani (pictured) received at least two injections of what was supposed to be gluteal silicone at the hotel Immediately after the procedure, the district attorney said Gourkani became extremely ill and went into distress, experiencing convulsions Gourkani was rushed to Mills-Peninsula Hospital where she died the following day'If you knew Ashten, you knew that everyone mattered to her,' a past GoFundMe page for the late Gourkani read, according to People.'She was such a caring and loving free spirit that always took the time to bring a smile to anyone's face she crossed paths with,' the statement added.'She was the kind of person that would kneel down and talk to children at eye level, she searched for the lonely person in the corner and made them feel special as she has such a gift of connecting with people.' The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned in 2021 that using silicone injections - which are not FDA approved - to enlarge or reshape body parts can cause serious complications, including pain, embolisms, disfigurement, stroke and death.The agency also warned that when silicone injections are administered in areas with many blood vessels, such as the buttocks, 'silicone can travel through those vessels to other parts of the body and block blood vessels in the lungs, heart, or brain.'Dr Lisa Hwang, a licensed plastic surgeon in Campbell, said there is no safe way to inject the substance, which carries numerous risks. 'That is injecting free-floating silicone in the form of likely a gel, but it's a free-floating gel,' Hwang told ABC 7 News.'If it's not injected in a certain plane, and in this case, it's a free-floating substance, which can also cause migration down the road,' she added. Gourkani’s family said police investigated her death as a homicide tied to a 'medical procedure that took a turn for the worse' An autopsy later revealed that Gourkani died from an embolism and toxins in her system Gomez pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Jury selection was underway Monday at the Hall of Justice in Redwood City (pictured) The US Food and Drug Administration warned against the dangers of silicone injections to enlarge or reshape body parts in 2021 Gomez was arrested just hours after Gourkani’s death and booked into the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, according to the Los Angeles Times.She waived extradition and was brought back to San Mateo County to face the charges. Prosecutors said Gomez ran an illegal cosmetology operation in Florida and barred her from performing any medical or cosmetic procedures or even owning the tools to do so, according to CBS.Opening statements are scheduled for Wednesday, with the trial expected to last four weeks.
