Should cheating come with a price? Wife sues husband's mistress
An American woman sued her husband's alleged mistress for $1.7 million (R29m) and won, which begs the question: Should all cheaters have to pay up?
A woman is smiling all the way to the bank after successfully suing her ex-husband's current wife for "alienation of affection" due to their alleged cheating.
According to several reports, Akira Montague sued TikTok influencer Brenay Kennard for ruining her marriage to Tim Montague.
She accused Kennard of seducing her husband and having an affair with him. The women were friends, with pictures showing the alleged mistress at the couple's house.
Tim is also Kennard's manager. In another interesting twist, Kennard was reportedly married to Tim's cousin.
Akira accused her husband's mistress of causing her and her children further humiliation by flaunting their relationship on social media posts.
Her lawyers showed the jury several pieces of evidence, including footage of Kennard twerking on her husband.
Akira also claimed her husband had sex with Kennard in their house while she was asleep. She says the woman's actions cause Tim to withdraw from her.
"The interference of Defendant involved wrongful and malicious acts that caused Plaintiff and Plaintiff’s Husband's genuine love and affection to be destroyed," she stated in her lawsuit, per 13 News.
The courtroom erupted in applause when the verdict was read. Seven states in America allow spouses to sue for alienation of affection: Hawaii, Mississippi, Illinois, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah and North Carolina, where Akira is from.
She also accused Kennard of breaking criminal conversation laws.
According to Cornell Law School's Legal Information Institute, "Criminal conversation is a common law tort that allows a spouse to sue a third party for engaging in sexual intercourse with their spouse; it is the civil claim for adultery.
"Criminal conversation or 'heartbalm actions' are considered an infringement on the rights of the non-adulterous spouse and an interference with the marital relationship."
According to NBC News, a jury awarded Akira $250,000 for criminal conversation and $1.5 million for alienation of affection.
Kennard, who represented herself in court, has called the ruling "outrageous". She has reportedly stated that she won't pay a single cent.
Speaking to WRAL News outside the courtroom, Kennard alleged that it gave her the green light to pursue Tim.
"She said it was okay because she knew her marriage was over with, and it was done."
Akira's lawyers told People that the evidence spoke for itself.
"The evidence presented in this case overwhelmingly supported my client’s stance that Brenay Kennard not only alienated the affections of Akira’s husband but also inflicted emotional injury on his children as well."
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