A North Carolina woman is suing content creator Brenay Kennard, claiming Kennard had an affair with her ex-husband and caused their marriage to end.
During the trial, Timothy Montague told a Durham County court that he never loved his ex-wife, Akira, and only married her because of a housing issue.
“We were just like roommates,” he said Thursday.
Timothy Montague and Kennard are now married. Akira filed her lawsuit in May 2024 under North Carolina’s alienation of affection law, one of the few states that still has this law, which dates back to the 1850s.
To win an alienation of affection case, a plaintiff must show that a loving marriage existed, that the love was destroyed, and that a third party caused it, using evidence such as testimony, photos, or other documentation.
Representing herself, Kennard called Timothy Montague on Thursday to dispute Akira’s claims of love, while Akira’s witnesses sought to show the harm Kennard allegedly caused, with $3.5 million in damages at stake.
The trial is getting national attention because Kennard, from Winterville, is a TikTok lifestyle creator, known as @LifeOfBrenay, with 3 million followers on TikTok and Instagram, known for her makeup, cooking, and mukbang videos.
During the trial, Akira testified that Timothy Montague frequently showed signs of affection, including writing love notes.
Her mother, Veneta Sydnor, described the couple as “inseparable,” recalling playful moments such as feeding each other grapes.
Text messages from August 2023 also showed Timothy Montague helping plan a surprise birthday party for Akira.
Timothy Montague disputed these accounts, denying any romantic gestures such as love notes or flowers.
“I can’t even recall a time when we held hands,” he said.
He testified that he and Akira didn’t marry for love but out of necessity, staying at his parents’ home while waiting for student housing, under the condition that they marry within 60 days.
Not wanting Akira to be without a place to live, he agreed, proposing with the cheapest ring he could find.
Timothy Montague said the couple fought frequently and separated in 2021 when he moved to campus, though Sydnor maintained that they remained together.
He denied any prior affair before meeting Kennard, saying Akira often brought up an alleged past relationship.
The couple officially separated in March 2024 and divorced in August.
“I loved her, but I wasn’t in love with her,” Timothy Montague said.
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