Viral TikToker ordered to pay $40K to husband’s ex-wife

Source: BET News Published: March 26, 2026

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North Carolina TikToker Brenay Kennard, who has over 3 million followers across TikTok and Instagram, has been ordered by a Durham judge to pay $40,000 to Akira Montague while she appeals a $1.75 million judgment. Kennard was found liable last fall for “alienation of affection” and “criminal conversation,” legal claims in a handful of states that allow spouses to sue someone they believe is responsible for destroying their marriage. A North Carolina jury in November ordered Kennard to pay $1.5 million for alienation of affection and $250,000 for criminal conversation after Akira Montague accused Kennard of having an affair with her then-husband Timothy Montague. On March 24, Kennard, Timothy, and Akira all appeared in court, where Kennard’s attorney requested a $10,000 undertaking while she appeals, but the judge set the amount at $40,000. The case has drawn national attention for highlighting the rarely used legal doctrine, which remains on the books in only a few states.