“It’s expensive to take somebody else’s man”: Influencer ordered to pay $1.75 million for breaking up a marriage

https://www.dailydot.com/culture/tiktoker-brenay-kennard-million-dollars-breaking-up-marriage/

Rachel Kiley Nov 12, 2025 · 2 mins read
“It’s expensive to take somebody else’s man”: Influencer ordered to pay $1.75 million for breaking up a marriage
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TikTok influencer Brenay Kennard has been ordered to pay a whopping $1.75 million in damages after a court held her responsible for breaking up a marriage.

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Akira Montague brought a civil lawsuit against Kennard last May, accusing the influencer of having an affair with her then-husband, Timothy Montague, and flaunting it across social media. 

According to The News & Observer, Kennard stayed with the Montagues for at least two weeks in 2023 when she was having trouble with her own marriage. Her husband, Devon Mayo, is Timothy’s cousin. Mayo filed for divorce earlier this year.

Much of the case seemed to revolve around Kennard’s inclusion of Timothy in her TikTok videos. She was also accused of using things Montague told her about her marriage in confidence to “seduce” her husband. She ultimately said she discovered proof of the affair in January 2024.

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It was a heated lead-up to the actual trial. Prior to the lawsuit, Montague was arrested for allegedly threatening Kennard. In September of this year, Kennard was arrested and charged with cyberstalking Montague. The trial itself was just as eventful—at one point, Timothy was arrested for having a gun in the courthouse.

How can someone be sued for breaking up a marriage?

North Carolina is one of the only states that still has laws allowing someone to sue for alienation of affection. The person bringing the lawsuits against a third party has to prove that there was previously love within their marriage, that love was alienated, and that the person they’re suing acted maliciously to create the rift.

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Clearly, the jury felt that Montague met that burden. Although she initially sued for $3.5 million, she was ultimately awarded $1.5 million for “alienation of affection” and $250,000 for “criminal conversation,” which refers to sleeping with someone else’s spouse.

Brenay Kennard’s expensive affair

The courtroom itself was filled with people supporting Montague, cheering as the jury’s conclusion was shared.

Online, people were mostly just stunned at how costly this particular instance of FAFO turned out to be.

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“On another note, this whole story is WILD! The guy isn’t even worth the 1.75 million to begin with physically or net worth. Yall better leave those married men alone…”

“Chile it’s expensive to take somebody else’s man.”

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Mayo filed a similar lawsuit against Timothy last December, and onlookers are already anticipating that trial as well.

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