A popular influencer who has been open about her abusive relationship with her ex-boyfriend received an outpouring of support online this week after he pleaded guilty in court.
Kayla Malec, who has 16.6 million followers on TikTok and almost 1.8 subscribers on YouTube, first publicly detailed abuse allegations against Evan Johnson in April, uploading a series of emotional, raw videos about their nine-month relationship.
The videos, which at times included pictures and videos of injuries she said she sustained from Johnson, generated a sympathetic reaction from many of her followers, who praised her for her vulnerability.
Malec’s story became the latest saga to captivate people online, as some of her followers began to spread misinformation and condemn another creator who they said appeared to be associated with Johnson.
Johnson was charged by officials in Sumner County, Tennessee, with domestic assault on April 7, according to Sumner County Courthouse records obtained by NBC News. On Wednesday, Malec shared “justice was served,” as she posted videos of herself outside of a courthouse.
“I’m like really happy right now, I’m going to probably start sobbing,” she said in her video, “ ... but I won. I won!”
Johnson pleaded guilty to a domestic assault charge on Wednesday, and was also ordered to have no contact with Malec, according to court documents. Johnson was also ordered to not operate TikTok, YouTube or Facebook accounts in his name. He also pleaded guilty to a probation violation for a DUI, according to court documents.
A court representative said that Johnson is in custody. Representatives for Malec and Johnson did not respond to requests for comment on Friday.
In the lead-up to the court hearing this week, Malec documented her emotions in videos on TikTok, saying she’s experienced anxiety and PTSD after coming forward.
“This is the most depressed I’ve ever been in my life,” she said in a video last month. “... I know it will get better and I know the healing process takes a long time. And there are days when I feel really good and there are days when I wake up ... and I don’t want to get out of bed for the rest of the day.”
She said she’s continued to post to help others who have faced similar situations.
“The one thing that’s keeping my head up and getting me out of bed is knowing that I’m doing this for a reason and that I’m doing this to help ya’ll,” she said.
Malec’s celebratory videos collectively received about 20 million likes, as fellow popular influencers — including Haylee Kalil, Jacob Sartorius and Jess DiTirro — commented congratulating her on the verdict.
Singer Kesha, who previously brought abuse allegations against her former producer Dr. Luke, also commented. (Dr. Luke, who has not been charged with a crime, has denied all of Kesha’s allegations. In 2023, the two reached a settlement in his defamation suit over her allegation that he raped her.
“I’m so proud of you,” Kesha wrote on Malec’s video. “A win for one is a win for all of us.”
If you or someone you know is facing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence hotline for help at (800) 799-SAFE (7233), or go to www.thehotline.org for more. States often have domestic violence hotlines as well.
