Baltimore County, MD — For Ava Grace May, August 2024 seemed like the beginning of an exciting opportunity. The 19-year-old backstage actress and TikTok Artist had just been selected from dozens of applicants for a co-hosting role on a local YouTube channel with 118,000+ subscribers. “AHHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! This is so exciting,” she texted the channel’s creator, Levi Trumbull, when she received the offer.
Sixteen months later, Ava Grace May faces a defamation lawsuit seeking at least $30,000 in damages, with court documents detailing a series of events that transformed professional disappointment into legal consequences. The case, filed in Baltimore County Circuit Court on December 8, 2025, centers not on the failed business relationship but on Instagram posts May made in September 2025 accusing Trumbull of “stalking” and “harassing” her—accusations the lawsuit characterizes as demonstrably false and defamatory per se under Maryland law.
A Promising Beginning
May’s journey to this courtroom began on the entertainment industry platform Backstage.com, where aspiring actors and creators seek opportunities to build their careers. On August 5, 2024, Trumbull, a Frederick-based YouTuber focused on government accountability and social commentary, posted a casting call for an on-camera personality.
The opportunity seemed tailored to someone like Ava May—a young performer with acting training from the Carver Center for Arts and Technology, working as a restaurant hostess while pursuing her entertainment dreams. She had done “extra” work that led to a speaking role. She was eager for more screen time and professional development.
May applied on August 7, 2024, writing an enthusiastic cover letter and providing her phone number to Trumbull. After phone interviews on August 17 and 19, Trumbull selected her from the applicant pool. The offer letter arrived August 20: “I am pleased to inform you that you have been selected for this role.”
May’s excitement was palpable in her text response: “AHHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! This is so exciting.”
The Starbucks Meeting That Changed Everything
On August 21, 2024, May arrived early for her meeting with Trumbull at a Starbucks in Frederick, Maryland. She had a reflexology appointment in town that afternoon and texted him when it concluded. “I’m accidentally 10 minutes early HAHA,” she wrote, adding “sorry about that.”
According to court documents, Trumbull brought a manila envelope containing seven custom-drafted contracts and $100 cash as “a courtesy to the role, to help offset any initial minimal travel expenses.” The meeting was intended to finalize the arrangement with signatures on standard industry documentation.
But when Trumbull presented the documents, something unexpected happened. The complaint filed in the case describes May as appearing “noticeably confused” and as if she “had difficulty reading, and understanding, the English language.” After approximately 15 seconds of reviewing the first document, May “became overcome with anxiety.”
She began apologizing profusely, asking “Did I waste your time?” and saying “Sorry, I feel so bad” and “I just need time to process it.” May requested more time to review the materials at home—a reasonable request that Trumbull ultimately granted after May made specific promises.
“I’m going to sign them no matter what,” May told him, according to the complaint. “You’ll get them back.”
May left the Starbucks with the unsigned contracts and the $100 cash. Before departing, she and Trumbull discussed scheduling for future video shoots. She mentioned her upcoming beach vacation starting August 23 and said she’d be ready to film upon her return around August 27 or 28.
The Silence
But May never returned with signed contracts. According to the lawsuit, she never returned the documents or the money, despite multiple requests. By August 28, Trumbull had heard nothing and terminated the offer, immediately replacing May with another candidate who went on to appear in fourteen videos for his channel.
In September 2024, Trumbull sent formal requests for return of his money and property, offering multiple convenient options including in-person return, drop-off at the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, or mailing with tracking. The complaint states May never responded to these requests.
For nearly a year, the matter lay dormant. May continued creating content on Instagram, TikTok, and Spotify, describing herself as “spreading good weirdness around the world.” Trumbull continued producing his YouTube videos with his new co-host.
“Astral Stalking”
The situation reignited in September 2025 when May released a song titled “Astral Stalking” on streaming platforms. The lyrics described someone watching the narrator “through your astral eyes” and included lines about needing “to put salt around my house” because “you’re stalking me.”
Trumbull, recognizing the song referenced their situation after receiving third party messages, sent May an email on September 13, 2025, titled “The High Road.” The message, quoted extensively in court documents, represents what Trumbull characterizes as a sincere attempt at private resolution.
“I am reaching out in attempt to take the high road before I respond to some of your recent actions,” he wrote. He acknowledged their previous interaction had been “unfortunate” and expressed understanding that it may have had “a lasting effect” on May. He counseled that “publishing vengeful songs or TikTok’s will not make you feel any better about what happened.”
The email concluded with an explicit offer: “I am more than willing to meet you at the field you choose, whether it’s the field of reconciliation and moving past this, or the field of vengeance… I would advise you to let me know within 48 hours.”
May never responded.
The Accusations
After receiving no reply within the 48-hour deadline, Trumbull published a YouTube video on September 15, 2025, addressing the situation. The video, labeled “Opinion, Satire, & Parody” in its description, criticized May’s publicly available content using terms the lawsuit notes she herself employs—”weird” and “cringy.”
That evening at approximately 9:53 PM, May posted to her Instagram account, which had about 1,500 followers. Her posts included: “THIS GUY HAS BEEN STALKING ME” and “And then harassed me and my family for months.”
These weren’t casual complaints or expressions of discomfort. Under Maryland law, stalking and harassment are specific criminal offenses. Stalking carries potential punishment of up to five years imprisonment. When May accused Trumbull of these crimes on a public platform, she crossed from opinion into factual allegations that could be legally tested.
But less than twelve hours later, on the morning of September 16, May posted additional Instagram stories with a strikingly different tone. According to the lawsuit, she stated Trumbull’s video “did not hurt” her and was “f*cking hilariously bad” and “gives me recognition.” She said she would “normally would laugh” at it.
These contradictory statements within such a short timeframe are central to the lawsuit’s allegations. How could someone be genuinely terrorized by stalking and harassment one night, then admit the next morning the conduct did not hurt them at all and was actually funny and beneficial to their acting career?
The Legal Battle Begins
On September 16, 2025, Trumbull sent May a cease-and-desist letter explaining why her statements constituted defamation per se under Maryland law and demanding retraction by September 25. May didn’t respond.
Also on September 16, May filed for a peace order—a civil protective measure for people who fear for their safety. But according to court documents, she failed to properly serve Trumbull on four separate occasions. On October 8, 2025, she voluntarily withdrew the petition. The court later sealed the dismissed record.
On November 19, 2025, Trumbull sent May one final opportunity to avoid litigation: a comprehensive demand letter giving her until December 5th to post a public retraction and written apology. The letter offered a mutual release—meaning full resolution without any lawsuit if she simply acknowledged her accusations were false.
May didn’t respond.
The Lawsuit
On December 8, 2025, Trumbull filed his defamation complaint in Baltimore County Circuit Court. The complaint seeks at least $30,000 in general damages, a court order requiring May to post a retraction and apology, a permanent injunction preventing further defamatory statements, and costs.
On December 10, a process server personally delivered the lawsuit to May at her home in Lutherville Timonium. According to a witness declaration, may made an audible sound of displeasure when receiving the documents, then got into a vehicle while holding them.
The lawsuit details harm Trumbull alleges he suffered from May’s posts: threats and harassing messages from her followers, reputational damage to his professional standing, emotional distress from being falsely accused of crimes, and forced removal of his YouTube video due to the volume of “spam” Ms. May had encouraged her followers to send him.
Under Maryland court rules, may had thirty days from service—until January 9, 2026—to file a response. As of January 20, 2026, she has not filed any answer, resulting in entry of a default order.
A Young Life Altered
Ava Grace May is now 21 years old, she describes herself on social media as someone spreading “good weirdness” through her music and performance art. She has followers who appreciate her unconventional content and creative expression.
But she also faces substantial legal jeopardy from accusations she made in a moment—accusations the lawsuit argues were demonstrably false, contradicted by her own subsequent statements, and made without regard for their truth or consequences.
The case raises questions about youth, judgment, and the permanent nature of social media posts. May was 21 years old when she made her Instagram accusations. Old enough to be legally responsible, but perhaps young enough to make impulsive decisions without fully appreciating their ramifications.
What led May to make accusations she would contradict within hours? What prevented her from responding to multiple opportunities to resolve matters privately? Why did she withdraw her peace order after filing it? Why has she not responded to the lawsuit itself?
These questions remain unanswered as May has not participated in the legal proceedings or made public statements about the case.
The Path Forward
The case now proceeds to a damages hearing where Trumbull will present evidence supporting his request for at least $30,000 in compensation. With May in default, the court will determine appropriate relief with or without her participation.
For May, the opportunity that began with such excitement in August 2024 has now led to legal consequences that may affect her for the rest of her life.
Prior to Defaulting Trumbull asked that the case be tried by a Jury of Baltimore County Peers.
*AI image used for dramatization purposes
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