Khaby Lame: Viral TikTok star attends football match in Brazil after US detention for overstaying visa

The 25-year-old Senegalese-Italian influencer has yet to address his detention. Instead, he shared an Instagram Story of him attending the World Cup Qualifiers match between Brazil and Paraguay in São Paulo, Brazil on Tuesday night (June 10).

Lame, whose real name is Seringe Khabane Lame, was detained on Friday at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, a spokesperson for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed.

“Lame arrived in the U.S. on April 30 and overstayed the terms of his visa,” the spokesperson said. He was allowed to leave the country under a voluntary departure, which lets foreign nationals facing removal exit the US without receiving a deportation order, a mark that can bar re-entry for up to ten years.

Lame’s departure comes amid President Donald Trump’s renewed crackdown on immigration enforcement, which has included ICE raids in Los Angeles and increased detentions across the country. His case has drawn attention due to his high profile and the wider implications of visa enforcement on international creatives working in the US.

Who is Khaby Lame?

Khaby Lame rose to global stardom during the COVID-19 pandemic by creating silent reaction videos that mock overly complicated “life hack” clips — all without saying a word. His understated expressions and relatable humour quickly earned him a massive online following.

With more than 162 million followers on TikTok, he is currently the platform’s most-followed user.

Born in Senegal, Lame moved to Italy as an infant with his working-class parents and now holds Italian citizenship. He has since leveraged his online fame into high-profile collaborations, including a multiyear partnership with fashion brand Hugo Boss and an appointment as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador in 2024.

Just weeks before his detention, Lame was seen attending the Met Gala in New York City