Tiktok Tarot Influencer Must Pay $10m To Professor Over False University Of Idaho Murder Claims

A TikTok influencer who falsely accused a University of Idaho professor of being progressive successful nan 2022 slayings of 4 assemblage students has been ordered to salary her $10 cardinal successful damages.

A national assemblage successful Boise deliberated for little than 2 hours connected Friday earlier uncovering Ashley Guillard liable for defamation and awarding damages to history professor Rebecca Scofield, who testified that nan online accusations shattered her intelligence health, career, and reputation.

Guillard, 41, had built a pursuing online theorizing astir high-profile cases done what she described arsenic “spiritual intuition,” often utilizing Tarot cards.

In a bid of TikTok videos conscionable aft nan November 2022 murders, she many times claimed that Scofield was linked to nan stabbing deaths of nan 4 University of Idaho students, contempt Bryan Kohberger being arrested six weeks later. In July 2025, Kohberger plead blameworthy to nan murders of Ethan Chapin, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and was sentenced to life successful prison.

In nan videos, which continued until 2025, Guillard besides alleged that Scofield had been romantically progressive pinch 1 of nan victims and ordered nan sidesplitting erstwhile nan student threatened to expose nan relationship. She posted Scofield’s photograph and individual accusation online without evidence, The Idaho Statesman reported.

In December 2022, Scofield revenge a defamation lawsuit. But tribunal records show Guillard continued posting videos moreover aft receiving cease-and-desist letters and after Moscow constabulary publically stated Scofield was not a suspect.

In June 2024, Guillard’s statements were ruled defamatory by Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Raymond Patricco, who recovered that they were based “only” connected her “spiritual intuition” and not connected “any nonsubjective basis.”

The astir caller trial, which lasted 4 days and ended connected Friday, focused solely connected determining damages.

Scofield testified that nan accusations caused terrible anxiety, PTSD, and nervus symptom passim her body, making it difficult for her to activity arsenic chair of nan University of Idaho’s history department. She said she and her family avoided a vigil for nan victims retired of fearfulness and felt trim disconnected from their ain community.

“There was a infinitesimal wherever it felt for illustration I mislaid ownership of my look and my name, and it was nary longer stitched to my body,” Scofield told jurors during nan trial. “It was utterly terrifying.”

Guillard represented herself astatine proceedings and called only 1 witnesser – herself.

She told jurors she believed she had psychic abilities and learned tarot reference done YouTube videos, numerology, and self-study. She said she began posting videos to raise consciousness and push authorities to analyse imaginable leads.

“I benignant of mislaid a small spot of dream that she would beryllium investigated, but thing successful maine wouldn’t let maine to springiness up,” Guillard testified.

Guillard acknowledged she made much than 100 videos astir nan case, continuing until August 2025, aft Kohberger had already pleaded blameworthy to nan murders.

More than 3 years aft nan murders, and 7 months aft Kohberger was sentenced, Scofield confronted Guillard successful national court.

“You said lies into a camera, astir maine and my husband,” Scofield told Guillard from nan witnesser stand. “You were making (dozens) of videos astir me, personification you ne'er met, you ne'er talked to, personification you had nary relationship to. I don’t cognize really anyone could not consciousness threatened by that level of liking from personification they had ne'er met.”

At nan extremity of nan trial, Scofield was awarded $6.5 cardinal for mendacious accusations related to nan murders and $3.5 cardinal for claims of an inappropriate narration pinch a student. Most of nan award, $7.5 million, was punitive damages meant to punish Guillard and deter akin behaviour from others successful nan future. The remaining magnitude covered aesculapian costs and affectional distress.

“The $10 cardinal verdict reinforces nan judge’s determination and sends nan clear connection that mendacious statements online person consequences successful nan existent world for existent group and are unacceptable successful our community,” Scofield said successful a connection to PEOPLE aft nan verdict.

“The murders of nan 4 students connected November 13, 2022, was nan darkest section successful our university’s history. Today’s determination shows that respect and attraction should ever beryllium granted to victims during these tragedies.”