Who Is Sherif Shama: TikTok Street Photographer Accused of Sexual Harassment by a Model, Does Not Take 'No' for an Answer

Sherif Shama, a TikTok street photographer known for his candid portraits taken across the streets of Milan, is facing serious accusations of sexual harassment. The allegations were made public by TikTok user Kenzie Swaine, who shared her story in a video posted in June 2025, nearly a year after the events allegedly took place.

Kenzie, who was travelling solo through Milan in the summer of 2024, claimed she was approached by Shama during her trip. He offered to take free photos of her – something he is widely known for on TikTok, where he has over 1.5 million followers.

At first, the interaction felt harmless. However, what began as a seemingly friendly encounter, Kenzie says, quickly turned into a frightening and traumatic situation.

A Night That Took a Disturbing Turn

According to Kenzie's account, Sherif and she met again the next evening, at his suggestion, but this time he did not bring his camera. They shared a drink and walked along the canal. As the night wore on, she told him she was heading back to her Airbnb. That's when things reportedly took a turn.

'No, but I like you,' she remembered him saying, as he continued to press to accompany her home despite her repeated refusals. She described spending nearly 45 minutes trying to get him to leave her alone.

When she eventually called an Uber, she says he initially walked off, only to suddenly jump into the car when it arrived. 'I'm f**king panicking at this point,' she said in her video. Despite her visible distress, the Uber driver reportedly did not intervene.

When they arrived at her accommodation, she told him to stay in the car, but he got out and followed her to the gate. As she tried to slide through, Kenzie claimed he slammed the gate into her body. 'Sherif is slamming the gate into my body,' she said. 'We're literally pushing and pulling on the gate on opposite sides for at least 45 seconds.'

She eventually managed to lock him out. 'He looked at me with the most sinister eyes, then just sat there and eventually walked off,' she said.

Sherif Shama Responds

On the other hand Sherif has denied the accusations outright. In a statement posted to his TikTok story, he called it a 'fake story' and added, 'If you looking to have views or money there's different ways for that. People believe you because they didn't listen to my side. Shame on you.'

He later posted a short clip from their initial interaction, dated 18 June 2024, along with a comment from Kenzie left days after the shoot that read: 'AHHHHH thank you I had so much fun with this.'

Initially, comments were disabled on Sherif's posts, and negative responses were removed. However, he has since reopened the comment section. He has not publicly addressed specific details of the incident.

Kenzie Stands Her Ground

In a follow-up video, Kenzie rejected claims that she had made up the story for attention or profit. 'You think I want my claim to fame to be the girl that has zero survival instincts?' she said. She also pledged to donate all earnings from her TikTok account for the month of June to charity. 'Karma's a b**** and it's coming for you,' she added.

Kenzie said she was fully aware that coming forward could result in backlash, but chose to share her experience in the hope of warning others.

While no legal action has been announced at this stage, the story has resonated with many who have experienced similar behaviour. In another such video, Sherif can be seen approaching a fellow female traveller with a flirtatious nature, where he says to the woman, 'I want to know you.'

Kenzie's experience has raised concerns about Sherif's approach to photographing strangers, many of whom appear to be women travelling alone.