A North Carolina lawsuit is the talk of the internet this week after a scorned ex-wife came out on top! TikTok influencer, Brenay Kennard, has to pay $1.75 million to Akira Montague. Akira sued Kennard, accusing her of causing the end of her marriage to Timothy Montague. The court ruled in favor of the ex-wife on Monday (November 10), according to The News & Observer.
Why Did The Ex-Wife, Akira Montague, Sue?
Akira filed her civil lawsuit in May 2024 at the Durham County Superior Court, seeking $3.5 million in damages. In the paperwork, she claims that Brenay Kennard’s affair with Timothy caused alienation of affection and ended her marriage. Montague also accused the TikToker of criminal conversation, which is reportedly a legal term for having sexual interactions with someone’s partner. North Carolina is one of the few states that accepts both as legal arguments. Ultimately, Akira said she suffered mental anguish, damage to her health, and a lack of a two-parent household for her children.
Additionally, Akira Montague accused Brenay Kennard of creating content that featured Timothy while he was still married to her. The lawsuit alleges Brenay “flaunted” her relationship online and attempted to “justify” the alleged affair on social media. Also, she said the posts were created and others shared, such as photos of her kids with Tim, without her “knowledge or consent.”
What’s The History Between Brenay Kennard & Timothy?
Over time, Brenay Kennard built a large social media following for her day-in-the-life videos and other lifestyle vlogs. To this day, she boasts nearly 3 million followers on TikTok and 275,000 on Instagram. Timothy is allegedly her manager, but they have known each other for over a decade. Yahoo! News reports that Tim testified to dating Brenay while they attended high school at the Word of God Christian Academy in 2014.
Years later, in 2018, Montague proposed to Akira. In his testimony during the civil trial he claimed he did so with the cheapest ring and without getting on one knee. Still, they followed through with the marriage. Meanwhile, Brenay got married to Devon Mayo, who also testified in the civil trial. In his testimony, he claimed that in December 2023, he overheard Brenay and Tim talking about rekindling their relationship while she believed he was asleep. That same month, Brenay began staying with the Montagues’ at Tim’s insistence.
The following month, in January 2024, Akira began to suspect an affair after allegedly seeing a video of Tim and Brenay. Additionally, Mayo testified to overhearing Brenay and Tim having intimate relations multiple times in his home that same month. Fast-forward to March 2024, the Montagues allegedly separated, and then reportedly divorced months later in August. After his divorce from Akira, Timothy allegedly married the TikTok influencer and they are still married, per The News & Observer.
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Judge Orders TikTok Influencer To Pay Up Over Affair
While Brenay might’ve snagged the man, Akira Montague is walking away with padded pockets! When Akira sued her, Brenay opted to represent herself in court. Timothy Montague reportedly testified that he was never in love with his ex-wife, Akira, and that they moved “just like roommates.” He also said they had separated in 2021—a claim Akira disputed by saying he came home every weekend from college and engaged in sex with her. She and her lawyer presented more than 700 pieces of evidence during the trial, per reporting from WRAL. She also had her mother and grandmother testify.
In her closing statement on Monday, Brenay Kennard rejected that she was “the reason” Akira’s marriage ended. Instead, she said their union had been “falling apart for years.”
On Monday, a North Carolina jury deliberated for a little less than two hours before finding Brenay Kennard liable, per The News & Observer. Afterward, a Superior Court judge ruled that Brenay Kennard must pay $1.5 million for “alienation of affection” and an additional $250,000 for “criminal conversation.” As mentioned, that’s a total of $1.75 million.
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Brenay, Timothy & Akira React To Verdict
After the ruling, Kennard and Timothy wrote statements to PEOPLE. She called the verdict “outrageous” and a ploy for money, claiming that Akira and her legal team had lied “the entire time.”
“The truth will always be the truth, and it’s easy to believe the lies, especially when playing the victim card,” Brenay said. “She may have won the battle, but not the war. God will have the final say.”
Speaking to the press after the verdict, Brenay claimed she doesn’t know how she’ll pay. “…But she’ll probably never see it,” she said. As some trial watchers have pointed out, just last month, Brenay flexed her new car purchase to her 2.9 million followers. Separately, her husband Timothy used the same description, “outrageous,” for the ruling. He also claimed that his ex-wife pulled “the sympathy card.”
“It’s easy to make someone out to be the villain when you don’t want to face the truth or take accountability,” Tim wrote. “The marriage was NOT full of genuine love. All parties involved know that. God will get the glory.”
Meanwhile, Akira Montague is basking in the glory of her win. Her lawyer, Robonetta B. Jones, also spoke to PEOPLE via a statement. Jones clarified that Akira’s lawsuit was not about “vengeance” but “accountability.”
“The evidence presented in this case overwhelmingly supported my client’s stance that Brenay Kennard not only alienated the affections of Akira’s husband but also inflicted emotional injury on his children as well,” the statement said. “Akira, her family, and I would like to thank all those who have supported her on this journey.”
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Brenay Was Arrested For Cyberstalking Ahead Of Civil Trial
Civil case aside. In September 2025, she was arrested and charged with cyberstalking in Durham County. Akira had filed a complaint against her for alleged repeated harassment, including threats and receiving unwanted messages. Kennard surrendered to police and later posted bail. While Akira won her civil case this week, it remains unclear where her criminal case stands.
