A North Carolina jury has ordered social media influencer Brenay Kennard to pay $1.75 million to her manager's ex-wife after finding her liable for destroying their marriage—a verdict made possible by an antiquated legal doctrine that survives in just six American states.
The 10 November ruling represents the third-highest award in North Carolina history for an 'alienation of affection' case, a type of civil lawsuit that allows a spouse to sue a third party they believe responsible for breaking up their marriage. Kennard, who commands nearly three million followers on TikTok, was found liable for both alienation of affection and 'criminal conversation'—the legal term for engaging in sexual relations with someone else's spouse.
