Woman Sentenced to 4 Years in Death of Kim Kardashian Lookalike After Illegal Butt Injections
An unlicensed Florida cosmetologist was sentenced to four years in state prison June 15 after being convicted in the death of Christina Ashten Gourkani, a 34-year-old OnlyFans model and social media personality known for her striking resemblance to Kim Kardashian.
Vivian Alexandra Gomez, 53, was found guilty in March 2026 of involuntary manslaughter and practicing medicine without a license following a two-week trial in San Mateo County Superior Court. The jury deliberated for three hours before returning the verdict.
What Happened in April 2023
Gourkani met Gomez at a Marriott Hotel in Burlingame, California, near San Francisco International Airport on April 19, 2023. According to prosecutors, Gomez traveled from Florida to perform the procedure, administering silicone gluteal injections to Gourkani inside the hotel room.
Gourkani became ill immediately after the procedure. Investigators determined she died of respiratory failure and a pulmonary embolism linked to complications from the injections. Medical examiners also found evidence of silicone migration within her body — a known risk of unapproved injectable fillers, which the FDA has not cleared for use in buttocks augmentation due to the potential for the substance to travel to other areas of the body with fatal consequences.
Gomez left California after the procedure and returned to Florida, where she was later arrested and extradited back to face charges.
The Sentencing
At the June 15 hearing, San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Leland Davis denied Gomez probation, stating she was "an active participant in the infliction of death to the victim." Victim impact statements were read in court before the sentence was handed down.
Gomez told the court she did not intend to appeal. One of her attorneys, Geoffrey Carr, said the four-year sentence was consistent with what Gomez and her legal team had sought from the beginning of the case.
The Dangers of Unlicensed Cosmetic Procedures
The case has reignited warnings from medical professionals about the risks of black-market cosmetic procedures. Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Obeng told People that fatal outcomes from illicit procedures of this type are not uncommon, and that many people seeking them underestimate the dangers.
Silicone injections used in underground procedures differ significantly from the materials used in regulated surgical settings. When injected by an unlicensed practitioner outside a medical environment, they can trigger embolisms, migrate through the body, and cause organ failure — complications that can develop rapidly and leave little time for emergency intervention.
Who Was Christina Ashten Gourkani
Gourkani had built a substantial online following through her resemblance to Kim Kardashian, posting modeling content across social media platforms and OnlyFans. She was 34 years old at the time of her death. Her family has continued to advocate for greater public awareness about the risks of unlicensed cosmetic procedures in the years since.
Gomez will serve her sentence in California state prison.
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