TikTok Star Khaby Lame Detained by ICE Over Visa, Voluntarily Departs the United States
TikTok star Khaby Lame was detained by ICE for overstaying his US visa. He has since left the country voluntarily and is now working to regularise his travel status for future visits. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) briefly detained Italian influencer Khaby Lame, who was born in Senegal and has over 160 million TikTok followers, last week for exceeding his visa limit. TikTok's Most-Followed Creator Faces Immigration Hurdle
On 6 June, Khaby Lame was detained at Las Vegas airport before boarding a flight to Miami for a promotional event. The 24-year-old had unintentionally remained in the US after his travel visa expired, according to authorities. Lame reportedly agreed to leave the country voluntarily and fully cooperated with immigration officials. As a result, he avoided formal deportation proceedings and preserved his chances of re-entering the US in future. According to his team, the overstay was due to an inadvertent administrative error stemming from a misunderstanding about the visa's expiry date. Lame departed for Italy within 24 hours of the incident and is currently working with immigration lawyers to regularise his travel status for future visits. Viral Sensation Known for Silent Comedy Skits
Lame rose to global fame during the COVID-19 pandemic with his silent, comedic TikTok videos mocking overly complicated life hacks. His exaggerated facial expressions and deadpan humour earned him millions of fans, making him TikTok's most-followed creator in 2022. Amid his recent US visa issue, supporters are rallying behind him on social media using the hashtag #FreeKhaby, underscoring his continued worldwide popularity. Private Life Comes Under Scrutiny Amid Legal Trouble
In addition to his visa troubles, Lame's personal life has come under the spotlight. Reports suggest he quietly married influencer Wendy Thembelihle Juel in early 2023, with the couple reportedly divorcing just seven months later. While Lame has largely kept his private life out of the public eye, the revelation has sparked fan speculation—especially given his silence on his current relationship status. Legal Experts Weigh In on Implications for Influencers
Legal experts say the case should serve as a warning to global influencers who frequently travel for work. According to immigration lawyer Marcus Levine, 'even minor visa errors can lead to significant disruptions'. He added: 'High-profile individuals like Lame are still subject to immigration laws and should always seek legal advice before travelling abroad for business.' Lame's representatives said he is now pursuing a long-term work visa to avoid future issues.
Originally published on IBTimes UK
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
DW
11 hours ago
- DW
UK: Two jailed over gold toilet theft from Blenheim Palace – DW – 06/14/2025
Two men have received jail sentences for their roles in the 2019 theft of an 18-karat gold toilet from the mansion. The $5.5 million artwork, which satirized consumerism, was once offered on loan to Donald Trump. An Oxford court on Friday handed jail sentences to two members of a gang that in 2019 stole a £4.75 million ($6.4 million, €5.5 million) art work in the form of a gold toilet from Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of famous British wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The toilet, entitled "America" and created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan as a commentary on ostentatious consumerism, had been on display for a just few days at the stately home when a five-strong gang smashed its way into the palace, ripping out the fully functioning appliance. The toilet, which was split up or melted down and sold on, soon after it was stolen and has never been recovered, weighed approximately 98 kilograms (216 pounds) and was made from gold worth about €3.3 million. How long do you go to prison for stealing a golden toilet? One of the men, James Sheen, 40, received a four-year sentence that will run consecutively to the 19 years and 4-month sentence he is currently serving for attacks on cash machines, a museum burglary and fraud. He is believed to have wielded the sledgehammer used to remove the toilet from its fastenings. The other, Michael Jones, 39, received a 27-month sentence, with the judge saying he could not be sure he was part of the gang that carried out the burglary, though he was found guilty of having carried out reconnaissance at the stately home preceding the crime. That reconnaissance included trying out the facility a day before the theft, an experience he described to the court as "splendid." Other members of the gang have already been sentenced for their roles in the theft. Golden toilet once offered to Donald Trump The toilet had previously been on display at The Guggenheim Museum in New York, and had been offered to US President Donald Trump as a loan during his first term of office, an offer the White House declined, having rather requested a Van Gogh painting. One of Cattelan's other works, a banana duct-taped to a wall, was sold in 2024 for $6.2 million at auction in New York. Blenheim Palace, which was built in the 18th century, is a UNESCO World Heritage site, Thousands of visitors come each year to visit it and the valuable art and furniture that it houses. Edited by: Alex Berry
Int'l Business Times
a day ago
- Int'l Business Times
TikTok Star Khaby Lame Detained by ICE Over Visa, Voluntarily Departs the United States
TikTok star Khaby Lame was detained by ICE for overstaying his US visa. He has since left the country voluntarily and is now working to regularise his travel status for future visits. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) briefly detained Italian influencer Khaby Lame, who was born in Senegal and has over 160 million TikTok followers, last week for exceeding his visa limit. TikTok's Most-Followed Creator Faces Immigration Hurdle On 6 June, Khaby Lame was detained at Las Vegas airport before boarding a flight to Miami for a promotional event. The 24-year-old had unintentionally remained in the US after his travel visa expired, according to authorities. Lame reportedly agreed to leave the country voluntarily and fully cooperated with immigration officials. As a result, he avoided formal deportation proceedings and preserved his chances of re-entering the US in future. According to his team, the overstay was due to an inadvertent administrative error stemming from a misunderstanding about the visa's expiry date. Lame departed for Italy within 24 hours of the incident and is currently working with immigration lawyers to regularise his travel status for future visits. Viral Sensation Known for Silent Comedy Skits Lame rose to global fame during the COVID-19 pandemic with his silent, comedic TikTok videos mocking overly complicated life hacks. His exaggerated facial expressions and deadpan humour earned him millions of fans, making him TikTok's most-followed creator in 2022. Amid his recent US visa issue, supporters are rallying behind him on social media using the hashtag #FreeKhaby, underscoring his continued worldwide popularity. Private Life Comes Under Scrutiny Amid Legal Trouble In addition to his visa troubles, Lame's personal life has come under the spotlight. Reports suggest he quietly married influencer Wendy Thembelihle Juel in early 2023, with the couple reportedly divorcing just seven months later. While Lame has largely kept his private life out of the public eye, the revelation has sparked fan speculation—especially given his silence on his current relationship status. Legal Experts Weigh In on Implications for Influencers Legal experts say the case should serve as a warning to global influencers who frequently travel for work. According to immigration lawyer Marcus Levine, 'even minor visa errors can lead to significant disruptions'. He added: 'High-profile individuals like Lame are still subject to immigration laws and should always seek legal advice before travelling abroad for business.' Lame's representatives said he is now pursuing a long-term work visa to avoid future issues. Originally published on IBTimes UK
DW
a day ago
- DW
How to make news for kids: 11 useful tips from Ukraine
Vlad and Yuliia host the TikTok kids' news program Here they give practical advice on producing content for young audiences. Since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine's public broadcaster Suspilne has faced the challenge of creating informative and creative content for children growing up in a war. Vladyslav Rudnitskyi (23) and Yuliia Petrenko (21) host the Ukrainian teen news program ' on TikTok. They're each experienced in media: before joining Suspilne, Vlad already worked as a journalist and blogger, and Yuliia as a video producer for UNICEF's projects. Every week, they set out to find new and appealing topics and then produce creative videos for young audiences. But how exactly does this happen? The Ukrainian YouTube format 'Ta Nevzhe?' is also aimed at young target groups Image: Suspilne Ukraine 'My first lifehack is making a cup of tea and wearing computer glasses to concentrate,' says Yuliia. Vlad focuses on making a connection to the audience: 'My advice is to try to put yourself in the shoes of your audience. What would you be interested in watching? Pay attention to what is popular among young people. Become their friend and they will listen to you, trust you and come back again!' With that, check out this list of things that help zero in on young viewers and listeners: 1. Start with a bang Young audiences in all countries have an increasingly short attention span, so you may have less than three seconds to capture their attention. Try to find the most important aspect of your story and place it at the beginning to get your message out before your viewers even think about scrolling. 2. Make it appealing Kids are interested in the world around them but they may not be enthusiastic about classic news formats. So, make sure to present news in an interesting and youthful way. This means looking for hooks or curious insights that ensure your audience bears with you until the end. It also means using slang or memes and staying on top of current internet trends. 3. Form follows function Try out alternative formats such as blitz polls, sketches, or vlogs and make sure your format fits the topic. But don't be afraid to think outside of the box: sometimes even the most complicated topics can be told in a funny and light-hearted way, and this might even help your audience understand and process difficult news. Providing a weekly news digest can moreover help your audience stay on track. 4. Get real close Audiences of any age like to connect personally with media. To help them, you can offer practical tips, manuals and how-to-stories like 'How to use AI correctly' or 'How to distinguish fake information from true information'. But also focus on things that that your audience can try out or recreate in their own lives, e.g. go to the movies and take your audience with you, or share some personal recommendations for books or games. 5. Know your audience Knowing your audience means doing your research but also meeting young people in the field, and trying to interact with them as much as possible. One way to do so is conducting interviews on the streets and collecting opinions. But also allow for comments and discussions with your stories and get into meaningful conversations with your viewers and listeners. Another way to connect with audiences is visiting schools and offering workshops where you explain your work but also let young people try out journalism. Let them experiment in front and behind the camera. Visiting schools and youth centers is a great way to address topics such as Media and Information Literacy, Disinformation, cyber security and opportunities for working in journalism. 6. Get the parents on board Depending on the age of your target group, you will need parental permission to broadcast content that shows their kids, for instance if you are doing interviews on the streets. To make this easier, you can record their consent via video on the spot. Offering background material for parents is also a good way to tell them how they can support their children in understanding news, especially when stories are sad or difficult to understand. 7. Do I know this face? Vlad and Yuliia already had audiences before they started to produce kids' news so they had built trust in what they were reporting. Working with familiar faces establishes authenticity and you know well in advance that your audiences will connect with your hosts. 8. Know your platforms – or learn along the way Beware of certain limitations when publishing on platforms other than your own website. Most social media platforms have rules and regulations that may censor or block certain content or graphic images even if it is published with the best (and educational) intentions. The only way to learn this is through experience, so don't be afraid of trial and error. 9. Be positive - the world out there is daunting enough There is a lot of horrible and shocking news out there and children can be sensitive to this, especially when they already live in a country or region affected by conflict. You don't need to sugarcoat the news but try and find silver linings, giving your audience a break from terrifying and negative stories. Look for constructive solutions or inspiring people who try to fix things around them, including success stories of young people who are close to your audience. 10. Get experts involved Are you working on a difficult topic and can't find the right language? Get in touch with a child psychologist and ask for advice. Or just take your camera and microphone along when doing background research while your audience is watching. This way you establish yourself as a reliable source, who doesn't avoid diving deeper and starting an investigative journey, and it shows young people that it is always okay to ask questions. 11. Meet your audience at eye level Your audience is young, smart and curious and you can trust them to understand and process even complicated or scary information if presented in the right way. It is your job to find a language they understand and build a path to knowledge for them. Your chosen topic seems too big or complicated to explain in one go? Break it up into smaller bits and create a series. Together with the Ukrainian public broadcaster (Suspilne) and the media organization Lviv Media Forum, DW Akademie is working on the project 'Strengthening Independent Media for a strong democratic Ukraine' (2024-2026), financed by the European Commission and supported by the German Federal Foreign Office. The project aims to sustainably increase the capacity of independent media, including Ukrainian public service broadcasting, to promote constructive and open dialogue among the Ukrainian population and to support the National Council for Television and Radio Broadcasting on its way to meeting EU standards. DW Akademie provides comprehensive support to the Suspilne Kids News team in its professionalization and international networking. This is done through strategic consulting, mentoring, training and providing equipment, as well as through targeted exchange with German and European public broadcasters.
