Woman Ordered to Pay $1.75 Million For Having Affair With a Married Man

TikTok influencer Brenay Kennard will have to pay $1.75 million to her manager's ex-wife after she was found liable for criminal conversation and alienation of affection. The North Carolina woman will have to pay that amount after a jury found her liable for having an affair with a married man and destroying the Durham couple’s marriage.

That was the third-highest award in North Carolina history in an alienation of affection case.

Kennard was sued by Akira Montague, the ex-wife of her manager, according to NBC affiliate WRAL. Montague alleged that Kennard had an affair with her husband, Tim Montague, which ultimately led to the end of their marriage.

In the lawsuit, the wife accused Kennard of having an affair with her husband, and that she “engaged in behavior designed to seduce” him and “flaunted her affair and romantic relationship in public and private places,” WBTV reports.

The suit also states that the affair prompted the husband to leave his family behind and relocate with Kennard to Greenville.

The Ex-wife's Claim

Akira Montague married Tim in 2018 and has two kids with him. She filed a civil lawsuit in 2024 against Kennard after Tim started seeing the influencer and having an affair with her. In the 14-page complaint, Montague accused the woman of "verbally flirting" and having an intimate affair with her husband.

Akira said their affair caused plenty of anguish in her personal life and negatively impacted her family dynamic. She also claimed the affair damaged her health and deprived her children of a two-parent household.

The Jury's Decision

Throughout the 6-day trial, Montague's attorney presented more than 700 pages of evidence to support the alienation of affection claim. Kennard denied all the allegations against her in court, even though she had posted videos and photos on social media about the affair.

Even so, the Durham County jury found Kennard liable for criminal conversation and alienation of affection. She was ordered to pay the ex-wife $1.5 million for alleged alienation of affection and $250 for criminal conversation.

Robonetta Jones, Akira Montague's attorney, said:

"Akira Montague has received justice for losing her husband and the father of her children."

Alienation of Affection

Alienation of affection is a common law that allows a spouse to sue a third party believed to have intentionally interfered in their marriage, causing a loss of affection. North Carolina is one of only six states that has a law allowing a spouse to sue the person responsible for breaking up a marriage. Here are the six states that recognize alienation of affection lawsuits:

1. Hawaii
2. Mississippi
3. New Mexico
4. North Carolina
5. South Dakota
6. Utah

In alienation of affection cases, a plaintiff claims that the defendant destroyed their marriage. The plaintiff must prove that a loving relationship existed and that the new relationship was the controlling and effective cause of the marriage's breakdown due to the actions of a third party.

While an extramarital lover is the cause of most alienation of affection cases, there could be others who are responsible for the breakdown of a marriage, including a family member, a friend, or a co-worker who encouraged the breakup.

In summary, alienation of affection is a complex legal concept that allows individuals to seek redress for the emotional and relational harm caused by third parties interfering in their marriages.

Attorney Robonetta Jones gave a warning for interfering in another person's marriage.

"I believe the message is that there are consequences for interfering with another person's marriage. 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."