Baltimore County, MD — Backstage actress and social media personality Ava Grace May is facing a defamation lawsuit filed in Baltimore County Circuit Court by Frederick-based YouTuber Levi Trumbull, who alleges May falsely accused him of “stalking” and “harassment” in Instagram posts viewed by approximately 1,500 followers. The complaint, filed December 8, 2025, seeks at least $30,000 in damages and requests a jury trial.
According to court documents, the case centers on statements May posted to her Instagram account @avagmay_ on September 15, 2025, at approximately 9:53 PM. The posts included the statements: “THIS GUY HAS BEEN STALKING ME” and “And then harassed me and my family for months.” May also claimed Trumbull was “10 years older than me,” though court records establish the actual age difference as five years, not ten.
Trumbull, 26, operates a YouTube channel with approximately 118,000 subscribers focused on matters of public interest, government accountability, and social commentary. May, 21, maintains active accounts on Instagram, TikTok, and Spotify, where she describes herself as “spreading good weirdness around the world” and creates what she characterizes as provocative or “weird/cringy” content.
The parties first met in August 2024 through the entertainment industry platform Backstage.com. According to the complaint, Trumbull posted a casting call seeking an on-camera personality to present scripted introductions for newsworthy video clips on his YouTube channel. The posting described the opportunity as suitable for “College Students, Young Adults, or anyone trying to grow an online following.”
May responded to the casting call on August 7, 2024, writing in her cover letter: “Thank you so much for considering me! I would love to be a host for this project I think I’m a great fit.” After multiple phone conversations, Trumbull selected May for the role and sent her an offer letter on August 20, 2024. May responded enthusiastically via text: “AHHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! This is so exciting.”
The complaint details a meeting on August 21, 2024, at a Starbucks location in Frederick, Maryland. Trumbull brought custom contractual release forms and $100 in cash “as a courtesy to the role, to help offset any initial minimal travel expenses.” However, when presented with the documents, May reportedly became anxious and asked for more time to review them. The complaint states she promised to either sign and return the documents or return them unsigned along with the money if she decided not to proceed.
According to the lawsuit, May left the Starbucks with seven custom-drafted documents and the $100 cash but never returned either, despite a request to do so from Trumbull.
By late August 2024, Trumbull terminated the offer and replaced May with another candidate who went on to appear in many videos for his channel. Trumbull sent May formal requests for return of his property in September, 2024, offering multiple options including in-person return, drop-off at the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, or mailing. The complaint alleges May never responded. Trumbull ultimately would sue May in Small Claims Court for the return of property.
The situation remained dormant until September 2025. On September 10, 2025, May released a musical composition titled “Astral Stalking” on various streaming platforms including Spotify and YouTube. The complaint describes the song as depicting “themes of feeling pursued or monitored by an individual” with lyrics including “I can feel you looking at me through your astral eyes” and “you’re stalking me.” Trumbull asserts that prior to the release of the song he had been contacted, and told the song was about him.
On September 13, 2025, Trumbull sent May an email titled “The High Road” in an attempt to resolve matters privately. The email stated: “I am reaching out in attempt to take the high road before I respond to some of your recent actions.” Trumbull gave May 48 hours to respond and engage in dialogue. According to the complaint, May never replied.
After receiving no response, Trumbull published a YouTube video on September 15, 2025, addressing the situation. The video criticized May’s publicly available content on TikTok and other platforms, using terms the complaint notes May herself employs to describe her own content, including “weird”, “creepy”, and “cringy.” The video was labeled as “Opinion, Satire, & Parody” in its description, the video discussed their business relationship, the unreturned documents and money, and May’s recent song release.
That evening at approximately 9:53 PM, May posted her Instagram statements accusing Trumbull of stalking and harassment. The complaint characterizes these as “defamation per se” under Maryland law because they falsely impute commission of criminal offenses. Under Maryland Criminal Law § 3-802, stalking is a misdemeanor punishable by up to five years imprisonment and a $5,000 fine. The complaint cites Maryland Court of Appeals precedent establishing that false accusations of crime are defamatory per se, meaning harm to reputation is presumed as a matter of law.
Significantly, the complaint highlights that less than twelve hours after making these accusations, May posted additional Instagram stories on the morning of September 16, 2025, stating Trumbull’s video “did not hurt” her and was “f*cking hilariously bad” and “gives me recognition.” The lawsuit characterizes these statements as “devastating to any defense” because they contradict claims of genuine harm or fear.
On September 16, 2025, Trumbull sent May a cease-and-desist letter demanding she retract her statements by September 25, 2025. The letter explained why her statements constituted defamation per se under Maryland law and cited relevant case precedent. May did not respond or comply.
Also on September 16, May filed a petition for a peace order against Trumbull in Baltimore County District Court. However, according to the complaint, May failed to properly serve Trumbull on four separate occasions, and she voluntarily withdrew the petition on October 8, 2025. The court subsequently granted Trumbull’s motion to shield the dismissed peace order record on November 17, 2025.
On November 19, 2025, Trumbull sent May a comprehensive demand letter via certified mail, giving her until December 5, 2025, to post a public retraction on Instagram and send a written apology. The letter offered a mutual release if she complied, meaning litigation could have been avoided entirely. May did not respond or comply with the deadline.
Trumbull filed his complaint on December 8, 2025, in Baltimore County Circuit Court. May was personally served at her Lutherville Timonium residence on December 10, 2025, by private process server Anthony Tyler Jarboe. The complaint seeks general damages of at least $30,000, an order requiring May to publish a retraction and apology, a permanent injunction preventing further defamatory statements, pre- and post-judgment interest, and costs of suit. Trumbull has demanded a jury trial.
The complaint details harm including threatening and harassing messages Trumbull received from individuals who believed May’s accusations, including threats and false accusations. It also alleges reputational damage to Trumbull’s professional standing, emotional distress, and forced removal of his YouTube video. As of January 20, 2026, court records show May has not filed a response to the lawsuit, and a default order has been entered.