Khaby Lame
TikTok star speaks out against racism – and has some followers against him
Khaby Lame is one of the biggest stars on TikTok
© Fillippo Monteforte / AFP
TikTok star Khaby Lame has positioned himself with a clear statement against racism – that did not go down well with some followers. Lame got some critical news.
Khaby Lame is a big number on TikTok: more than 115 million people follow him on the video app. This makes Lame the second most successful TikToker in the world – behind the American Charli D’Amelio. 48 million people also follow him on Instagram. But some followers: Lame have now turned their backs. The reason for this should be his commitment against racism.
Lame lives in Italy, but comes from Senegal. The 21-year-old posted a video on TikTok in September with the hashtag #notoracism. He used the same hashtag in a story on Instagram. Actually, a matter of course, but this statement apparently did not go down well with all followers. Lame received private messages with criticism, some users announced that they no longer wanted to follow him.
Khaby Lame reacts calmly to criticism of anti-racism statements
The influencer responded with another story, reports the news portal “Dexerto”: The fact that followers leave him because of his clear line against racism does not bother him, he wrote. “It’s almost 2022 and people are still racists because they have nothing else to do in their lives. Be happy, follow your dreams and save the planet.”
He doesn’t care about his number of followers, says Lame: “You can easily follow me. (…) Your hearts are important to me. If you think about doing something new, do it right and in a positive way.” Instead of posting negative comments, dissatisfied users should use their time wisely and donate it to a good cause.
Khaby Lame became a star on TikTok during lockdown
Lame came across his career on TikTok by chance: at the beginning of the lockdown last year, he lost his job in an Italian factory and then logged on to TikTok. There he enthused many users: inside with his videos – in most of the posts he makes fun of so-called life hacks (i.e. tricks that are supposed to make life easier). The young man, who comes from a very humble background and claims to have grown up in social housing, is now one of the biggest stars on the platform.
Sources: “Dexerto” / Khaby Lame on TikTok / Khaby Lame on Instagram