Kim Vō, the celebrity hair colorist behind the blond tresses of stars such as Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Pamela Anderson and Goldie Hawn, has died.
Vō died following a seven-year battle with colorectal cancer that saw him “exceeding all medical expectations,” his husband, Adeel Vo-Khan, wrote in a Jan. 24 social media post.
“My beloved husband, best friend, partner in life & business, Kim Vō, has taken his final breath,” the post read. “Diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2018, he fought valiantly, winning many battles along the way and exceeding all medical expectations under the care of Dr. Lawrence Piro and his incredible team at Angeles Clinic and Cedars-Sinai.”
He added, “Ultimately, God decided it was time for our angel on earth to return home.”
Instead of sending flowers or “other tokens of condolences,” Vō wished for his followers to donate to the Kim Vō Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports creatives in the beauty and fashion industries who are battling cancer, his husband wrote.
Vo-Khan also shared a statement from his late husband, which read: “I’ve been incredibly lucky. I’ve experienced love, happiness, and meaningful relationships on and off screen. I don’t need anything more, but I do want to use the platform, knowledge, and success I’ve worked so hard for to help others.
“Everything I’ve been blessed with also belongs to the communities that have made me who I am. I want my life to be celebrated with joy, positivity, and now, health-first vigilance. That is the meaning of life. That is the meaning of my life.”
Vō appeared on shows like Bravo’s “Shear Genius” and the 2022 Paramount+ show “Blowing LA,” which featured his flagship salon in West Hollywood, California.
The Vietnam-born creative told Teen Vogue in a 2007 interview that when he decided to go to beauty school, his mom said it would be “great” until he decided to “get a ‘real’ job.”
“From a very young age, I’ve known what I wanted to do,” he told the magazine. “I’ve always loved hair!”
He worked in sought-after salons, including Cristophe in Beverly Hills, before opening his first business, B2V, in the early 2000s.
“It’s so tough being in this industry, now almost twenty years, I’ve had to go through a metamorphosis,” he told the Where Brains Meet Beauty podcast in 2018. “I’ve had to really upgrade my game. What was twenty years ago isn’t reality right now. Social media plays a huge side of this.”
Friends and clients alike reacted in the Instagram comments, with Nicky Hilton writing, “Sending so much love. He was such a kind and sweet person.” Jennie Garth posted, “I’m so sorry honey. 💔”
Bowel cancer, which is often referred to as colorectal cancer, is the most common cause of cancer-related deaths in people under 50 years in the U.S., the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed in a Jan. 22 report. Cancer of the colon and the rectum often goes unnoticed as they typically don’t present symptoms in the earliest stages, according to Harvard Health.
Regular screenings are recommended for adults 45 and older.