Influencer, 45, dies after going under general anesthesia for back tattoo
Ricardo Godoi was known for his posts about luxury cars

Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A Brazilian car influencer, Ricardo Godoi, has died in the middle of a procedure to receive a back tattoo.
The news was announced on his Instagram account on Monday (January 20), where Godoi had more than 200,000 followers.
“Today we say goodbye to Ricardo Godoi, an incredible person who left his mark on the hearts of all who had the privilege of knowing him,” the post, translated from Portuguese, read.
“His joy, generosity and light will remain present in our memories and in every story he helped to build. May he rest in peace.”
The influencer had reportedly hired a tattoo studio to give him a full back tattoo, which they opted to do by putting him under general anesthesia in a hospital in the Santa Catarina state of Brazil.
Hours before his death, Godoi informed his followers of the procedure and promised to check back in with them once it was over.
However, he ended up going into cardiac arrest and died at 12 p.m. on Monday, according to the Instagram post.
According to a statement shared with The Daily Mail by the tattoo studio owner, Godoi died “at the beginning of the sedation and intubation.”
“That occurred before they even started tattooing him,” the owner said, adding that Godoi was a “great friend.” “He was quickly checked and a cardiologist was called in to try to revive him, unfortunately without success.”
Police are reportedly investigating Godoi’s death.
The influencer was known for his content about luxury cars, which sometimes involved his wife, Rafaela Gastaldi. He was also the CEO of his own business, Godoi Premium Group.
One of his friends, Eduardo Razuk, told The Mail how he was feeling ahead of the funeral and how unexpected the death was. “I spoke to him in the morning. Unbelievable, none of us expected that. He’s already in my prayers, Godoi was certainly an enlightened person,” he said.
Godoi’s death comes as more people opt to receive general anesthetic before getting tattoos.
“Anesthesia is really a lot more complicated than just flipping a switch like turning off a light,” Dr. John Baer an anesthesiologist and chair of anesthesia at Swedish Medical Center in Colorado said in a recent interview with Scripps News.
“But those who have the money, the fame, they will find the places they can get this safely done, but still there’s always that inherent risk.
“Back in the 1940s it was about 1 in 1,000 people would die from anesthesia,” he explained. "Now that number is closer to 1 in 100,000.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments