Latest news with #Italian-Senegalese
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
TikTok's biggest star was detained by ICE, with help from another influencer
Khaby Lame, one of the world's top TikTok creators, was recently detained by U.S. immigration officials in Las Vegas and has since left the country, The New York Times reports. According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Lame, an Italian-Senegalese influencer known for his silent, deadpan reactions to viral clips, overstayed the terms of his visa after arriving in April. He was reportedly granted voluntary departure and is now abroad. The situation grabbed headlines after a teenage influencer, Bo Loudon, boasted on X that he flagged Lame's immigration status to authorities. Loudon, who often posts political content, said he reached out to contacts to report it. Lame, 25, has built a massive global following — and a string of lucrative brand deals — after he reportedly lost his job during the pandemic. In addition to partnering with big names like Hugo Boss, he has also appeared — very briefly — in a Hollywood movie, and starred in a three-part travel series about his time in the U.S. He hasn't publicly addressed the incident as of this writing. Fehler beim Abrufen der Daten Melden Sie sich an, um Ihr Portfolio aufzurufen. Fehler beim Abrufen der Daten Fehler beim Abrufen der Daten Fehler beim Abrufen der Daten Fehler beim Abrufen der Daten
NBC News
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- NBC News
ICE says it detained TikTok star Khaby Lame and told him to leave the U.S.
U.S. immigration officials said they detained Khaby Lame, one of the world's most popular TikTok personalities, last week and told him to leave the country after they said he "overstayed the terms of his visa." The Italian-Senegalese creator, whose real name is Seringe Khabane Lame, entered the U.S. on April 30, according to a spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He was granted "voluntary departure" on Friday after he was detained by agents at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. Lame did not respond to requests for comment made by NBC News. He has not publicly commented on the reported detainment and subsequent departure. Lame has continued to post on social media in the days since he reportedly left the U.S. His most recent Instagram story appears to have been posted from Brazil. Sharks Celebrities Mgmt, which is among the listed agency representatives for the creator, claimed the ICE report is "fake news," telling NBC News in an email that Lame "did not visit the USA this month to begin with." They said the "the name mentioned is not his birth name." It's unclear when Lame was last in the U.S. but he did attend the Met Gala in May. Lame has 162.2 million followers on TikTok, where he grew a massive following during the pandemic after being laid off from a factory job in Italy. The 25-year-old, who is also a goodwill ambassador for the humanitarian aid organization UNICEF, is known for his comedic videos that often use the hashtag, 'learnfromkhaby.' The news comes amid the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration in the U.S., including efforts to detain travelers arriving at the border, including airports. In recent months, social media users have recounted their interactions with immigration officials and shared their fears about traveling back to the U.S. during a period of heightened vigilance at U.S. entry points and borders. Lame is one of the more high-profile people to date to be detained. Last month, Hasan Piker, one of the top political pundits on Twitch, said that he was stopped and questioned by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officials at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport after a trip to France. The Turkish American streamer, who is vocal on a number of political and social issues, said he was asked about his views, including whether he supports President Donald Trump. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said at the time that 'claims that his political beliefs triggered the inspection are baseless.' Immigration raids have also ramped up across the U.S., including in Los Angeles, where protests have continued for days as demonstrators push back on the Trump administration's aggressive round-up efforts.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
World's biggest TikTok star Khaby Lame leaves US after Ice agents detain him over visa
The world's most followed TikToker, Khaby Lame, has left the US after being briefly detained by immigration agents for allegedly overstaying his visa. The Italian-Senegalese influencer is now one of the most high-profile people to be swept up in Donald Trump's crackdown on migration. The social media star, whose legal name is Seringe Khabane Lame, was detained last Friday at an airport in Las Vegas. He was released the same day and has since left the US, a spokesperson for the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement told the Associated Press. The spokesperson said Lame had arrived in the US on 30 April and alleged that the influencer had 'overstayed the terms of his visa'. Trump's escalating crackdown on immigration continues to roil the country as agents intensify operations to carry out the US president's hardline promises. In recent days, raids have triggered protests in Los Angeles and other cities amid concerns the focus has shifted to a broader sweep of people who are not US citizens, including some who have valid documentation such as green cards or visas. US immigration officials said that Lame, who is a Unicef goodwill ambassador and has a following of more than 162 million on TikTok, 'has since departed the US'. He had been granted a voluntary departure, allowing him to avoid having a deportation order – which could have resulted in him being barred from the US for up to a decade – on his record. Bo Loudon, an 18-year-old who describes himself as a 'pro-Trump influencer' on his website, claimed he had been the one to flag Lame's case to officials. Related: LA police make mass arrests as protesters defy overnight curfew 'I discovered that he was an illegal,' Loudon, who has also claimed to be the best friend of Trump's son Barron, wrote on social media. 'And I personally took action to have him deported.' Loudon repeated the claim in other posts, saying he had worked with immigration officials and the Department of Homeland Security to have Lame removed. Lame did not reply to a request for comment from the Guardian, nor has he publicly commented on the incident. Lame, 25, began posting on TikTok after he lost his job working in a factory in Chivasso, a suburb of Turin, in the early days of the pandemic. He began racking up millions of followers, who revelled in his often-silent videos that offer humorous takedowns of online absurdity, alongside his trademark facial expressions. In 2022, he became the most followed creator on TikTok, catapulting him to international fame and landing him marketing deals with companies and a spot at events such as last month's Met Gala in New York City. Lame, who was born in Senegal but has lived in Italy since he was a year old, was granted Italian citizenship in August 2022.
Economic Times
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
Why TikTok star Khaby Lame was deported by ICE in LA
Getty Images Image credits: Getty Images Khabane 'Khaby' Lame, the world's most-followed TikTok creator, was briefly detained by U.S. immigration authorities on Friday at Las Vegas' Harry Reid International Airport. The 25-year-old Italian-Senegalese influencer, who has over 162 million followers, had allegedly overstayed his visa, according to a statement from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 'U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Seringe Khabane Lame, 25, a citizen of Italy, June 6 at the Harry Reid International Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada, for immigration violations,' ICE said. The statement further clarified that Lame entered the U.S. on 30 April and remained in the country beyond the terms of his visa. He was granted voluntary departure the same day and has since exited the United Lame himself has not commented publicly, the news quickly gained traction online after Bo Loudon, a 17-year-old pro-Trump influencer, claimed responsibility for alerting authorities.'I discovered that he was an illegal who overstayed an invalid visa, evaded taxes, and I personally took action to have him deported,' Loudon wrote on X. Loudon, who has posted extensively with Trump family members and identifies as a close friend of Barron Trump, said in an interview with streamer Dylan Page that he had contacted 'some buddies in the administration.''And I've never seen anything happen so quick,' he further labelled Lame as a 'far-left influencer' who allegedly disliked Trump, although there is no public record of Lame making political statements. Loudon did not respond to The New York Times but directed them to the Page detention comes amid renewed immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump, who returned to office in January. His administration has begun implementing a mass deportation campaign, parts of which are already facing legal challenges in U.S. timing of Lame's detention and the involvement of an openly partisan figure like Loudon have sparked debate about whether immigration laws are being used selectively against high-profile individuals—especially those who are politically neutral but globally in Senegal in 2000, Lame moved to Chivasso, near Turin, Italy, at the age of one. He rose to fame in 2020 after losing his job as a factory mechanic during the COVID-19 pandemic. Spending time around his housing complex, he began uploading silent TikTok videos mocking overly complicated 'life hacks' with simple, visual signature move—palms up, with an expression of mock confusion—resonated worldwide. He overtook Charli D'Amelio in 2022 to become TikTok's most-followed user. Between June 2022 and September 2023, he earned up to $750,000 per post, with Forbes estimating his net worth at $16.5 million. He's worked with brands like Hugo Boss, Walmart, and has also expanded beyond social media. He appeared in Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024), starred in the streaming series Khaby Is Coming to America, and was a judge on Italia's Got Talent. UNICEF named him a Goodwill Ambassador, and he was recently seen visiting shelters in Dakar, married Wendy Thembelihle Juel in 2023, although the couple reportedly separated in of Tuesday, Lame had not issued a statement on his detention but continued posting content on Instagram, including a story from São Paulo, Brazil. His former lawyer, Riccardo Lanzo, confirmed that Lame had been spending considerable time in the United States but said he was not aware of the details of his visa. The episode, brief as it was, reflects a new chapter in U.S. immigration enforcement where even the world's biggest online celebrities are not beyond scrutiny—and where politics and popularity are increasingly colliding at unexpected crossroads.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
ICE detains the most followed person on TikTok, Khaby Lame
(NewsNation) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reportedly detained the most-followed creator on TikTok on Friday. Khaby Lame, whose full name is Seringe Khabane Lame, is an Italian-Senegalese influencer. He was detained for immigration violations at the Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to USA Today. Sly Stone, leader of funk revolutionaries Sly and the Family Stone, dies at 82 Lame, 25, is a current citizen of Italy and reportedly 'overstayed the terms of his visa,' ICE reported. ICE allegedly gave Lame the option to depart the country voluntarily after he was detained, and Lame chose to leave the U.S. Lame became famous during the COVID-19 pandemic when he was laid off from his job in Italy. He uses the hashtag 'learnfromkhaby' on most of his videos, and he follows along as another creator talks about a complicated hack. Once he watches the 'hack,' he shows himself easily completing it, typically without saying anything. Lame is reportedly an ambassador for the men's clothing company Boss. He is also an ambassador for Binance and UNICEF. Lame moved from Senegal to Italy as a baby, but as The Associated Press reported, he didn't gain Italian citizenship until 2022. In 2024, he was named one of People's Creators of the Year. He told the publication at the time, 'Before TikTok, I was working in a factory. I had a lot of different jobs. I was helping support my family — three little brothers, one older brother and my parents. Then my world changed completely. It's a whole different life now.' Lame's detainment is one small part of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. During his presidential campaign, he had promised to create mass deportations, which have led to ICE raiding workplaces, airports and more across the country. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
