TikTok influencer ordered to pay $1.75M for destroying manager’s marriage under ‘Jolene’ law
TikTok influencer Brenay Kennard has been ordered to pay $1.75 million for having an affair with a married man. Brenay Kennard / Instagram
A North Carolina jury has ordered TikTok influencer Brenay Kennard to pay $1.75 million in damages after finding that she destroyed her manager’s marriage, under one of the few remaining U.S. laws allowing spouses to sue over infidelity.
Kennard — who boasts nearly 3 million followers on TikTok — was accused of seducing her manager, Tim Montague, while he was still married. Montague’s ex-wife, Akira Montague, filed the lawsuit in Durham County Superior Court, citing North Carolina’s alienation of affection statute — a rare legal relic intended to punish those who intentionally interfere in a marriage.
“It’s like something straight out of Dolly Parton’s Jolene,” remarked one court observer after the verdict.
Attorney Robonetta Jones, representing Akira Montague, told WTVD that her client endured deep public humiliation as Kennard openly flaunted her affair online. “Ms. Kennard flaunted her relationship with a married man, and of course it went viral,” Jones said. “My client was humiliated as a result.”
According to court filings, Akira Montague testified that the affair caused her mental anguish, damaged her health, and deprived her children of a stable, two-parent home. When the verdict was read, supporters in the courtroom reportedly erupted in applause as Mrs. Montague embraced her attorney, while Kennard quickly exited the room.
Kennard denied wrongdoing, claiming Mrs. Montague had consented to the affair because she already considered her marriage over. “She gave her consent,” Kennard told jurors, according to WRAL. “She said it was okay because she knew her marriage was done.”
Evidence presented during the six-day trial included hundreds of pages of text messages, photos, and social media posts. Jones argued that the materials proved Kennard knowingly pursued a married man — while married herself to Montague’s first cousin.
In the end, jurors awarded $1.5 million for alienation of affection and an additional $250,000 for criminal conversation, a legal term referring to adultery. The combined judgment represents the third-largest award of its kind in North Carolina history.
North Carolina is one of only six states that still allow such lawsuits, which date back to English common law. Similar cases have led to large settlements in the past — including a $30 million award in 2011 and a $3 million settlement involving a former state senator in 2021.
“The message is clear,” Jones said after the verdict. “If you interfere with someone else’s marriage in North Carolina, there can be serious consequences.”
Kennard has not publicly commented on the ruling.
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