Influencer Evan Johnson was taken into custody by Sumner County, Tennessee, on Monday, April 7, for charges of domestic assault and probation violation, according to the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office. Johnson was arrested and released on bond that same day. Police have not identified the victim.
While the 20-year-old has been released, social media users began speculating that the arrest might be connected to TikTok star Kayla Malec. She recently posted a series of viral videos in which she described being in an “extremely abusive relationship” over the past nine months.
The two have been dating for the last year. In a two-hour YouTube video, Malec refers to her allegedly abusive ex as “Evan,” prompting her millions of followers to suspect she was talking about Johnson. However, she hasn’t officially confirmed his identity.
Johnson hasn’t commented despite PEOPLE reaching out.
On Friday, April 4, Malec shared a written note online directing fans to her first YouTube tell-all video, “He doesn’t love you. “Pt. 1.” She posted the announcement on her Instagram and TikTok accounts.
In her note, Malec wrote, “I will never be able to forget the scars left. I will never be the same girl I was before this. The same man who will look you in the eyes and say I love you and then attempt to kill you is an experience I hope nobody ever has to live.”
She continued, “I was silently being abused while posting my life online, smiling. It’s true, you can see it in the eyes. I watch my old videos and see someone I never want to see again. It drained my soul, and the strong nature of myself that I’ve had my entire life. I can’t put into words the abuse and what it did to me.
Malec explained that she wondered, “Why me?” Every day, she decided that this happened to her, so she could help others. That’s why she opened up in her original YouTube post and video on April 10.
“This happened to me to save others. If I saw this video nine months ago, it would’ve saved my life,” she wrote. “I was put through this so I can save you.”
Back in January 2025, in addition to sharing the emotional timeline of her relationship, Malec also posted older clips of herself teary-eyed and battered. In one video allegedly taken on January 15, the day she says she “finally left,” she stares into the camera and wipes away tears.
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“I wanted to look at my eyes once I finally left. You really can see everything with your own eyes. This was the last time he got physical with me,” she wrote.
Malec says the physical abuse began on August 9, 2024, when her ex-boyfriend punched her during an argument. She describes the violence escalating over time, eventually to an incident where she claims she tried to kill her.
Days after sharing her story, she posted a follow-up video thanking her fans for their support. “I’ve been getting lots of messages from people saying they’re sharing their story and that I helped,” she said.
