World's Most Popular TikTok Star Khaby Lame Leaves the US after Being Detained by ICE
Khaby Lame, the world's most popular TikTok personality with millions of followers, has left the US after being detained by immigration agents in Las Vegas for allegedly overstaying his visa.
The Senegalese-Italian influencer, whose legal name is Seringe Khabane Lame, was detained Friday at Harry Reid International Airport but was allowed to leave the country without a deportation order, a spokesperson for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed in a statement.
Lame arrived in the US on April 30 and 'overstayed the terms of his visa,' the ICE spokesperson said. The Associated Press sent a message seeking comment Tuesday to the email address listed on Lame's Instagram account. He has not publicly commented on his detainment.
His detainment and voluntary departure from the US comes amid President Donald Trump's escalating crackdown on immigration, including raids in Los Angeles that sparked days of protests against ICE, as the president tests the bounds of his executive authority.
A voluntary departure, which was granted to Lame, allows those facing removal from the US to avoid a deportation order on their immigration record, which could prevent them from being allowed back into the US for up to a decade.
The 25-year-old rose to international fame during the pandemic without ever saying a word in his videos, which would show him reacting to absurdly complicated 'life hacks.' He has over 162 million followers on TikTok alone.
The Senegal-born influencer moved to Italy when he was an infant with his working class parents and has Italian citizenship.
His internet fame quickly evolved. He signed a multi-year partnership with designer brand Hugo Boss in 2022. In January, he was appointed as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador.
Last month, he attended the Met Gala in New York City, days after arriving in the US.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
14 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Trump met with cheers, boos at Kennedy Center for ‘Les Miserables' performance
A loud mix of boos and cheers greeted US President Donald Trump on Wednesday when he attended his first production at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the institution he subjected to a conservative takeover earlier this year. The mixed reception from theatergoers for Trump and his wife Melania as they arrived in the presidential box for a performance of 'Les Miserables' reflected the heightened emotions unleashed by his overhaul of the cultural center and use of executive power to shake up US society. His appearance at a musical about citizens rising up against their government came just days after he sent US Marines and the National Guard to quell protests against his administration's immigration raids in Los Angeles. Power and protest - key themes in the show - manifested within the theater itself. While some kept their backs turned to Trump, who raised his fist as he greeted the crowd, others chanted 'USA! USA!' to drown out boos as he and his wife were seated. Several drag queens in full regalia sat in the audience, likely in response to Trump's previous criticism of the venue for hosting drag shows. One person shouted 'Viva Los Angeles' as Trump stepped out of the presidential box for intermission. Trump did not attend events at the Kennedy Center during his first term but has taken a keen interest in it during his second. He pushed out its former chairman and took on the role himself, fired its longtime president and pledged to overhaul an institution that he criticized as too liberal. The center, a leading US arts facility, had long enjoyed bipartisan support. Revenue down Ticket and subscription sales have fallen since and some shows, including the hit 'Hamilton,' have canceled their engagements. Trump's appearance was meant to boost fundraising for the center, and he said donors raised more than $10 million. 'We're going to make it incredible. We have all the funding. We raised a lot tonight, and we'll put in a lot of money to bring it back to the highest level,' a tuxedo-clad Trump told reporters after other administration officials arrived on the red carpet, meant to evoke a Hollywood movie premiere. Overall year-on-year subscription revenue at the Kennedy Center was down 36% to $2.8 million as of early June for next season, which begins in the autumn, according to a person briefed on the data. Theater subscriptions, normally a major revenue driver for the center, were down 82%. A Kennedy Center official said the comparisons reflected in those subscription sales were not accurate because the center had launched its subscription renewal campaign later in 2025 than 2024. 'Our renewal campaign is just kicking off,' Kim Cooper, senior vice president of marketing, said in a statement. Cooper noted the center had launched a new subscription option that allowed customers to 'mix and match' genres and said more announcements of shows were coming. The Kennedy Center depends on revenue from tickets and subscriptions as well as donations to operate. Ticket sales for 'Les Miserables' have been robust, according to another Kennedy Center official. Donors were asked to pay $100,000 to $2 million for the event, for which they could attend a reception before the performance, receive a photo with the president and be seated in good locations in the roughly 2,300-seat theater. Conservative programing 'We've raised a little more than $10 million for tonight, which is pretty remarkable, and it's an organization that needs the money right now,' said Ric Grenell, a close Trump ally and former ambassador to Germany, who is now president of the Kennedy Center. Under his leadership, the center has sought to add conservative-leaning programming, including a show that Grenell has described as a celebration of the birth of Christ. Trump said he particularly enjoyed 'Les Miserables,' a musical that explores themes of injustice, poverty, law and order and acts of grace. 'I've seen it many times, it's one of my favorites,' he said. Secret Service agents inspected the prop guns used in the production and remained backstage for the show. Vice President JD Vance, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also attended. Vance was met with boos when he attended a Kennedy Center show with his wife earlier this year. He said on Wednesday that such reactions came with the territory of holding national office. When initiating his takeover of the center, Trump zeroed in on drag shows to argue that it had lost its way. But multiple upcoming shows on the Kennedy Center's agenda include characters dressed in drag, such as 'Mrs. Doubtfire' and 'Chicago.' Other musicals in addition to 'Hamilton' have pulled out, according to a former Kennedy Center official.
Asharq Al-Awsat
15 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Brian Wilson's Top Five Beach Boys Songs
From the carefree sound of California surf music to the sophistication of later darker works, here are five of the top hits penned by influential Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson. 'Surfin' USA' (1963) "Surfin' USA" was the Beach Boys' first global hit, taken from their eponymous debut album. A youthful ode to sea, sun and girls, it became an anthem for the West Coast and beyond. It demonstrated Brian Wilson's increasing songwriting prowess as well as the band's unique vocal sound achieved thanks to double tracking. "We'll all be gone for the summer/ We're on safari to stay/ Tell the teacher we're surfin'/ Surfin' USA," it rang out. Wilson intentionally set his lyrics to the music of "Sweet Little Sixteen," by Chuck Berry, leading Berry to take legal action. 'California Girls' (1965) On the big hit of the summer of 1965, Wilson's cousin Mike Love burst into song to celebrate the sun-tanned women of California. "I wish they all could be California girls," the band members sang in seemless harmony. It was also the first song written by Wilson under the influence of LSD, "which could explain why the accompaniment seems to move in a slow, steady daze at odds with the song's bright, major-key melody," Rolling Stone magazine wrote. 'God Only Knows' (1966) It took Wilson just 45 minutes to write "God Only Knows," the legendary eighth track on the album "Pet Sounds" which has gone down as one of the greatest love songs ever. Sung by brother Carl Wilson, Brian's rival Paul McCartney declared it to be his favorite song of all time and said it reduced him to tears. But the record company and other members of the group were wary at the new turn in style. 'Good Vibrations'(1966) "Good Vibrations" was a massive commercial success, selling one million copies in the United States and topping charts there and in several other countries including the UK. At the time the most expensive single ever made, the "pocket symphony" was recorded in four different studios, consumed over 90 hours of tape and included a complexity of keys, textures, moods and instrumentation. The song was a far cry from the group's surf-and-sun origins and the enormity of the task brought Wilson to the brink. He was unable to go on and complete the album "Smile," of which the song was to have been the centerpiece. - 'Til I die' (1971) - On side B of the album "Surf's Up,'Til I die" was composed in 1969 by a depressed Wilson worn down by mental illness and addiction. He wrote in his 1991 autobiography that it was perhaps the most personal song he had written for the Beach Boys.
Arab News
20 hours ago
- Arab News
Trump booed and cheered at the Kennedy Center while attending ‘Les Misérables'
WASHINGTON: A tuxedo-wearing President Donald Trump was booed and cheered as he took his seat for the opening night of 'Les Misérables' at the Kennedy Center, bringing his own dose of political drama to the theatrical production that was unfolding onstage. It was his first time attending a show there since becoming president, reflecting his focus on remaking the institution in his image while asserting more control over the country's cultural landscape. 'We want to bring it back, and we want to bring it back better than ever,' Trump said while walking down the red carpet with first lady Melania Trump. The Republican president has a particular affection for 'Les Misérables,' the sprawling musical set in 19th-century France, and has occasionally played its songs at his events. One of them, 'Do You Hear the People Sing?,' is a revolutionary rallying cry inspired by the 1832 rebellion against the French king. California Gov. Gavin Newsom noted Trump's attendance at the musical and posted on social media, 'Someone explain the plot to him.' Newsom, a Democrat, has been feuding with Trump over the president's decision to send National Guard troops to respond to protests in Los Angeles over his deportation policies. Opening night had a MAGA-does-Broadway feel. Ric Grenell, the Trump-appointed interim leader of the Kennedy Center, stood nearby as the president spoke to reporters. Attorney General Pam Bondi chatted with other guests. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took selfies with attendees. Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, were also there. There were more precautions than usual, given the guest list, and ticketholders had their bags searched after walking through magnetometers. Canned soda was on sale for $8, while a glass of wine cost $19. Terry Gee, a bartender, bought his ticket for the show in November and didn't mind Trump's presence. It's his sixth time seeing 'Les Misérables,' and he said, 'I'm going to enjoy the show regardless.' Hannah Watkins, a nurse, only learned that Trump would be there when the Kennedy Center distributed information about extra security and she searched online to see what was happening. 'I've seen a lot of famous people so far, which is exciting,' said Watkins, who had claimed a spot near the VIP entrance with her mother. 'Honestly, we just like 'Les Mis' and are excited to be here.' However, when the lights went down and the show began, there were empty seats in the balconies and even in the orchestra section. Before Trump, presidential involvement in the Kennedy Center's affairs had been limited to naming members to the board of trustees and attending the taping of its annual honors program in the fall. But after returning to office in January, Trump stunned the arts world by firing the Kennedy Center's longtime director and board and replacing them with loyalists, who then named him as chairman. Trump promised to overhaul its programming, management and even appearance as part of an effort to put his stamp on the national arts scene. His latest moves have upset some of the center's patrons and performers. In March, the audience booed the Vances after they slipped into upper-level seats to hear the National Symphony Orchestra. Trump appointed Usha Vance to the Kennedy Center board along with Bondi, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and Fox News Channel hosts Maria Bartiromo and Laura Ingraham, among other supporters. Sales of subscription packages are said to have declined since Trump's takeover, and several touring productions, including 'Hamilton,' have canceled planned runs at the center. Actor Issa Rae and musician Rhiannon Giddens scrapped scheduled appearances, and Kennedy Center consultants including musician Ben Folds and singer Renée Fleming resigned. Understudies may have performed in some roles Wednesday night because of boycotts by 'Les Misérables' cast members, but Trump said he wasn't bothered by anyone skipping the performance. 'I couldn't care less,' he said. Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has adopted a more aggressive posture toward the arts. The White House has taken steps to cancel millions of dollars in previously awarded federal humanities grants to arts and culture groups, and Trump's budget blueprint proposed eliminating the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Trump has also targeted Smithsonian museums by signing executive orders to restrict their funding and by attempting to fire the director of the National Portrait Gallery. Trump characterized previous programming at the Kennedy Center as 'out of control with rampant political propaganda' and said it featured 'some very inappropriate shows,' including a 'Marxist anti-police performance' and 'lesbian-only Shakespeare.' The Kennedy Center, which is supported by government money and private donations, opened in 1971 and for decades has been seen as an apolitical celebration of the arts. It was first conceived in the late 1950s during the administration of Republican President Dwight Eisenhower, who backed a bill from the Democratic-led Congress calling for a National Culture Center. In the early 1960s, Democratic President John F. Kennedy launched a fundraising initiative, and his successor, President Lyndon B. Johnson, signed into law a 1964 bill renaming the project the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. Kennedy had been assassinated the year before.
