On Thursday, July 14th, 2026, the Texas Court of Appeals upheld a protective order in the case involving Kimberly and Sammica Cash. The order restricts Sammica from contacting Kimberly for five years and prohibits her from posting personal, confidential, or humiliating information about Kimberly on social media platforms.

The dispute arose after the couple's divorce, when Kimberly alleged that Sammica began posting sensitive personal photos, location data, and other private information online to intimidate and harass her. Kimberly testified that she sought therapy for domestic violence she experienced during their marriage. She also claimed that Sammica tracked her Apple Watch data, mocked her on Facebook Live, and used third parties to locate her.

Sammica admitted to posting information but justified her actions as a response to Kimberly's "two-hour rant and slander" on social media, asserting that Kimberly had wronged her in other ways.

The trial court issued the protective order under the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, which allows such orders when there are reasonable grounds to believe the respondent knowingly engages in conduct directed at another person that causes harassment, annoyance, alarm, abuse, torment, embarrassment, or offense. The court noted that harassment includes publishing repeated electronic communications on internet platforms with intent to cause emotional distress or torment, unless related to a matter of public concern.

The appellate opinion was authored by Justice Tonya McLaughlin and joined by Justices Kevin Jewell and Maritza Antú.

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