(WRAL/CNN NEWSOURCE/WKRC) – A North Carolina jury has ruled in favor of a woman who accused a TikTok influencer of ruining her marriage to her ex-husband. A judge then ordered Brenay Kennard to pay Akira Montague $1.5 million for alienation of affection and $250,000 for “criminal conversation” — a legal term for having sexual intercourse with another person’s spouse.
Montague accused Kennard of having an affair with her then-husband, Tim Montague, claiming the relationship caused her emotional distress, harmed her health and deprived her children of a two-parent home. Per her complaint, Montague had sued Kennard for $3.5 million in punitive and compensatory damages.
“She has received justice from losing her husband and the father of her children,” said Robonetta Jones, attorney for Akira Montague, [per WRAL](https://www.wral.com/news/local/tiktok-influencer-brenay-kennard-ordered-pay-1-75-million-nc-november-2025/).
Kennard argued that the marriage was already over and said Akira Montague had given her “consent” for the affair. The jury rejected that defense and ruled in favor of Montague.
“She gave her consent,” Kennard said. “She said it was okay because she knew her marriage was over with, and it was done.”
North Carolina is one of the few states that allows a spouse to sue another person for having an affair that leads to the end of a marriage.
Kennard has nearly 3 million followers on TikTok (@LifeofBrenay) and a large Instagram following.