Akira Montague was awarded $1.75 million in a civil lawsuit after a Durham jury found Brenay Kennard to have been in violation of North Carolina's alienation of affection and criminal conversation laws.
The case has garnered international headlines for the award amount, and on account that fewer than 10 states have this type of legislation.
"When you are thinking about alienation of affection, you have to think about the humiliation that the spouse went through. Ms. Kennard flaunted her relationship with a married man," said Montague's attorney, Robonetta Jones. "And of course it went viral, and my client was humiliated as a result of that."
Montague said when she found out about the affair between her husband, Tim Montague, and Kennard, she became sick to her stomach.
"I literally was like dizzy. Like I was about to faint," Akira Montague said. "It was like I had got hit by a car...and the emotion of like, 'Oh my God, I can't believe I'm alive right now."
Akira Montague and Jones presented more than 700 pages of evidence, which included photos, videos, and text messages.
"It was a lot, but that it was lifted once we got our verdict," said Montague.
The lawsuit alleged that Kennard flaunted her relationship with Tim Montague to her more than 3 million social media followers and claimed she could not wait to become his wife.
"I want people to be able to think, OK, Mrs. Montague won $1.75 million," said Jones. "Is that man worth it? Is that woman worth it? They will think now. She posted online that she wanted to be Mrs. Montague, and I believe she did everything she could."
After the Montagues' marriage ended in divorce, Tim Montague and Kennard got married.
"Well, to become Mrs. Montague. That's her last name. But at what cost? Instead of being famous, she's infamous," Jones said.
Akira Montague added, "She's worth everything for him. Like he's worth everything to her."
Akira Montague has since returned to work since the verdict.
"The people at my job, they kind of got rid of some of my stuff because they thought I wasn't coming back because of how much that I was awarded," she said. She also has plans to finish college and buy a home for herself and her young children, ages 4 and 6.
In North Carolina, the alienation of affection law states that if a marriage ends in divorce because of infidelity, the husband or wife, in certain situations, can sue the person with whom the spouse had the affair. Additionally, a plaintiff in such a case must prove that the marriage is a loving one, that the marriage must continue while the infidelity is taking place, and the third party must have knowledge of the marriage.
"I was, I was raised to respect the marriage. I was raised to respect God. So loyalty, marriage, the white house with the picket fence, and the dog and the kid. That's me," Akira Montague said. "I was deeply in love with that man that I would do anything for him. I made sure that I put him first, and I shouldn't have."
The Durham jury awarded Akira Montague $1.5 million for alienation of affection and $250,000 for criminal conversation, the legal term for a person having sexual intercourse with someone else's spouse while they were married and before a legal separation.
"She doesn't regret it," said Akira Montague of Kennard's actions. "Like she said, I'm just bitter because she took my husband. Those were her words. That's what she told the jury. That's the woman that is not accountable for her actions and does not show any remorse for breaking up a family."
Meanwhile, Akira Montague said she does her best to shield her children from all of the hate and death threats they have received.
"It was horrible. I don't like going out in public with my kids because I get stopped in the store," she said in tears. "I can't have fun with my kids; to this day, people harass me and them. It's hard."
Jones said she believes the case has gotten worldwide appeal because of the similarities Montague has with other women in their own relationships.
"She has an outpouring of support from everyone online and just here in the state of North Carolina, because a lot of women can resonate with her," Jones said. "She has a voice for women that have been hurt by friends and by their loved one. So a lot of people say that they can recognize themselves in my client."