TikTok star Brenay Kennard ordered to pay Akira Montague, Raleigh, N.C native, $1.75 million for ruining her marriage under North Carolina law.
Maybe you might think twice about having an affair with your bosses spouse….or maybe not?
A TikTok influencer has been ordered to pay $1.75 million for allegedly destroying her manager’s marriage under an antiquated state law designed to crack down on cheating, according to North Carolina court records.
Brenay Kennard, who has nearly 3 million TikTok followers, allegedly seduced her manager, Tim Montague, according to a lawsuit filed in a Durham, NC court by the loverboy’s jilted ex-wife, Akira Montague, according to WTVD.
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Akira — who married Tim in 2018 and has two kids with him — brought a civil lawsuit against Brenay after Tim started seeing the influencer. Akira claimed their affair caused plenty of anguish in her personal life and negatively impacted her family dynamic.
The jilted spouse had originally sought $3.5 million in damages from Kennard when she first filed a civil lawsuit in 2024 under North Carolina’s ‘alienation of affection law.’
Notes AI: ‘North Carolina’s alienation of affection law allows a spouse to sue a third party for ‘intentionally interfering’ and destroying the marriage.’
To win a case, the plaintiff must prove they had a loving marriage, the third party had knowledge of the marriage, the defendant’s wrongful and malicious conduct caused the loss of affection, and the third party’s actions led to the marriage’s destruction. The law also requires the marriage having continued while the affair was actively taking place.
Evidence can include text messages, emails, and witness testimony.
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North Carolina is one of only six states that still allows a spouse to sue a third party for interfering in their marriage, under a practice that originated in English common law.
‘When you are thinking about alienation of affection, you have to think about the humiliation that the spouse went through,’ Akria Montague’s attorney, Robonetta Jones, told WTVD.
‘Ms Kennard flaunted her relationship with a married man. And of course, it went viral and my client was humiliated as a result of that,’ she continued.
Akira successfully claimed the affair had caused her mental anguish, damaged her health, and deprived her children of a two-parent household, WRAL reported.
Kennard denied all of the allegations against her in court, claiming Akria Montague knew the marriage was over and had allowed the affair.
‘She gave her consent. She said it was okay because she knew her marriage was over with, and it was done,’ Kennard told the jury, according to WRAL.
Tim Montague eventually left his wife for Kennard.
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Jones presented more than 700 pages of evidence throughout the six-day trial, which concluded on Monday with the awarding of damages to Ms Montague.
Kennard was married to Mr. Montague’s first cousin at the time of the alleged affair.
She posted a number of pictures and videos to social media showing the two couples hanging out.
‘They were able to take trips together, spend time together, and still make sure they held themselves out to be husband and wife,’ Jones said, adding that text messages from Kennard had ‘helped a lot as well.’
Kennard filed an unsuccessful motion to dismiss the case on the grounds that photos and videos presented in court were obtained unlawfully.
Akria Montague was awarded $1.5 million for alienation of affection and $250,000 for criminal conversation by a Durham County jury, the third-largest settlement in such a case in North Carolina history.
‘I believe the message is that there are consequences for interfering with another person’s marriage,’ Akria’s attorney stated.
Adding, ‘People have to know that if you interfere and you sleep with someone who’s married, there are consequences in the state of North Carolina and maybe they will think twice before they do it.’
