A North Carolina court case garnered global attention when American TikToker Brenay Kennard received a fine exceeding one million dollars for initiating a relationship with her friend’s ex-husband after an affair. This week, a jury ordered TikToker Brenay Kennard to pay US$1.7 million to Akira Montague, ending her legal battle.
Kennard, a well-known social media figure, was found liable for “alienation of affection” and “criminal conversation”, a civil term for having sexual relations with someone’s spouse.
Both claims are rarely seen in modern courtrooms but are still enforceable under North Carolina law. The lawsuit was brought forward by Akira Montague, the ex-wife of Kennard’s former manager, Tim Montague. Tim Montague and Kennard got married after his marriage ended with Akira.
Akira accused Kennard of deliberately interfering in her marriage, leading to emotional distress and the eventual breakdown of their family.
On Monday, November 10, the jury sided with Akira after less than two hours of deliberation. At the centre of the dispute was Akira’s claim that Kennard intentionally interfered with her marriage to Timothy Montague, leading to its breakdown and a lawsuit filed in May 2024.
In the court documents, Akira claims that Kennard intentionally interfered with her marriage to Timothy Montague. She also said that Kennard created social media content featuring Timothy “without [her] knowledge or consent” and even included photos of Akira’s children in some of her posts. Akira’s legal team argued that Kennard’s public behaviour, including livestream discussions about her relationship with Timothy, was both humiliating and emotionally damaging.
Kennard, who boasts over three million followers across TikTok and Instagram, represented herself in court. Throughout the trial, she maintained that she was not responsible for the end of the Montagues’ marriage, insisting that their relationship “had been falling apart for years.”
Timothy supported her claim, testifying that he was never in love with Akira and that their marriage had functioned more like a roommate arrangement. Akira, however, refuted this, stating that she and Timothy maintained a sexual relationship on the weekends when he came over.
In the verdict, the jury awarded Akira $1.5 million for alienation of affection and an additional $250,000 for criminal conversation. Following the decision, Kennard called the outcome “outrageous”, claiming that the case was “all about money” and accusing Akira’s team of lying. Timothy echoed her frustration, calling the ruling “absolutely outrageous” and suggesting Akira’s side had “pulled the sympathy card”.
