In 2011, Courtney Stodden married 51-year-old actor Doug Hutchison. This is their life now.

Warning: This post deals with distressing content and may be triggering for some people. 

Courtney Stodden was 16 years old when their father walked them down the aisle to a man three times their age.

Stodden's father was 47, making him four years younger than his child's husband, 51-year-old Doug Hutchison.

The aspiring actor and singer was marrying Hutchison, known in Hollywood for his role in The Green Mile alongside Tom Hanks.

The couple met online after Stodden — who has identified as non-binary and used they/them pronouns since April 2021 — expressed interest in Hutchison’s acting workshop. 

The first day they met in person, Hutchison proposed and they married in Las Vegas in 2011.

Due to their age, Stodden's parents had to sign permission forms for their child to marry Hutchison.

"We are totally supportive of this marriage. Doug is a wonderful man and we love him," Stodden's mother, Krista Stodden, told Radar Online.

On television, during an interview with Good Morning America, the couple — who made worldwide headlines at the time — announced to the nation Stodden was a virgin when they married.

Watch: Courtney Stodden and Doug Hutchison discuss their marriage in this 2011 interview. Post continues below. 

They were also forced to deny rumours that Stodden had received plastic surgery, with the man 35-years their senior saying, "Courtney’s plastic surgeon was God".

Asked if they were in the marriage to advance their career, Stodden responded: "If it does, that’s just another beautiful blessing that God hands me. But if I'm just with him for the rest of my life, supporting him, that would make me happy too."

In 2012, one year into their marriage, they appeared on reality TV show, Couples Therapy.

According to The Daily Beast, the couple had a number of issues observed by the show’s therapist, Dr. Jenn Berman.

"Hutchison admitted that he does not like the attention his wife’s scanty wardrobe provokes and that he is uncomfortable with [their] friendship with an ex-boyfriend," the publication explained.

Their appearance on the show was depicted as a trainwreck and the signifier of more than a few cracks in their marriage. So it was no surprise in 2013 when the couple announced they were separating.

In a statement to The Daily Mail, the couple announced: "After two and a half years of marriage, Courtney and Doug have decided to become legally separated."

Nine months later, in 2014, they reunited and renewed their vows. 

Stodden's mother Krista, told People: "[Stodden] got a taste of being single... But [they] found out [they] really, really love Doug."

In 2016, Stodden announced they were pregnant with their first child, but tragically suffered a miscarriage.

In an interview with Allegedly with Theo Von & Matthew Cole Weiss, the reality star, who appeared on Celebrity Big Brother UK, talked about the possibility of trying for more children with Doug in the future. 

"It’s hard to say another kid. Yeah, I suppose so. I'm still in the grieving process, so it’s hard for me to answer that question. But you know, you never know. I'm only 22, so I have a long time to think about that."

"I've had so many people reach out to me — men and women — who’ve experienced it and they just said that I’ve helped them so much. When you think you’re alone, not only in a miscarriage but in any trial in life, you feel like you are the only one and the world is closing in around you. I don’t have any regrets about that at all. I got so much support and felt like I wasn’t alone in that process," Stodden said on the podcast.

The couple's on-and-off again relationship continued to face struggles, when in 2018 Stodden filed for divorce. In March 2020 their divorce was finalised.

To mark their divorce, Stodden posted on Instagram saying looking at an old picture of them made them "feel absolutely taken advantage of".

"I've been scared to even speak up about feeling groomed or being verbally abused during the almost 10 year marriage because I was a child and he was 50.

"I've felt completely trapped, manipulated and at times abandoned by adults... growing up in such an environment — it became a lonely and dark place.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

It’s March 3rd, 2020 - today I am officially divorced from actor Doug Hutchison. It’s an emotional day for me. God only knows how he’s feeling, but I can tell you that it’s for the better. I look back at this picture and feel absolutely taken advantage of. I’ve been scared to even speak up about feeling groomed or being verbally abused during the almost 10 year marriage because I was a child and he was 50 when we married but I’m a woman now and it’s time for me to put my big girl pants on and speak on this matter. I’ve felt completely trapped, manipulated and at times abandoned by adults // growing up in such an environment — it became a lonely and dark place. Stay tuned for my book. And to Doug... I’ll always love you; yet I’ll always be angry. You’ve left me — a child woman, feeling belittled and confused. These things I shall overcome. I wish you well. But please don’t ever do this to another minor again. It’s not right... even if the parent signs off. Wait a respectable amount of time before marrying. Children aren’t on your level. I’ll always love you regardless. Be better. As shall I.

A post shared by  Courtney Stodden (@courtneyastodden) on Mar 3, 2020 at 12:11pm PST

Addressing Doug directly, Stodden wrote: "I’ll always love you; yet I'll always be angry... Please don’t ever do this to another minor again. It's not right..."

Hutchison also discussed his marriage to Stodden in February 2020, telling Fox News, "I shot my career in the head for love. And in doing so, I lost my family and friends. I was suddenly on the Titanic and everyone was fleeing except for me and Courtney."

In August 2020, 26-year-old Stodden reflected on the past decade of living in the public eye under such intense scrutiny. 

"Ten years ago, I turned 16. Nothing could have prepared me for what was around the corner. I had a child’s mind, a teenager’s body and I was a virgin.

"According to many, I was 'mature' enough to date men my father’s age (or older), and eventually marry one.

"Looking back, I now see how desperately I craved my own father's attention. He didn't teach me how to drive. I didn't know how to write a check. I never went to prom. Instead, I dropped out of high school, went to Las Vegas, and with the blessing of my parents, I wed a 50-year-old man I had just met in person.

"I gave him my all — my body, my mind, my heart, my soul. No one stopped me. No one stepped in and said that this wasn't okay. Instead, after achieving a kind of fame I wasn't prepared for, the world became my jury. I hid myself beneath a blonde mask, and eventually I lost my complete identity." 

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A post shared by Courtney Stodden (@courtneyastodden) on Aug 29, 2020 at 12:23am PDT

Stodden has continued to be open about their experience, saying in a YouTube video that they suffer from trauma.

"I'm reliving so many experiences that I can't even comprehend still to this day, with sexual assault and rape and everything else. What I'm going through right now is the realisation that I was married to somebody who groomed me.

"I was married to someone who had an interest in minors," they added. "If you had told me that I would be sitting here right now making this video, 10 years later, I would have said you're crazy...

"I'm going through a huge chapter right now that is healing. I'm so grateful that I'm on the other side — I got out. But that doesn't put me in the clear, I suffer a lot to this day from trauma — at least, that's what my therapist calls it."

They also expressed their clear opinion on the legal system allowing the marriage: "I don't even think minors should be legally allowed to get married with parental consent. I think it should be illegal, personally."

In April 2021, Stodden came out as non-binary, saying they prefer they/them pronouns. Announcing the news in an Instagram post, the model and reality star wrote, "They/them/theirs," alongside a selfie.

"I don't identify as she or her. I've never felt like I ever fit in anywhere. I was bullied horribly in school because I was different. The other girls never understood me. It got so bad that my mom pulled me out of school. And still, I don't fit in. I never really connected with anyone my age."

"My spirit is fluid with a kaleidoscope of colour," they continued, adding the hashtags #bekind, #beopen and #loveyourself.

"When I look at myself in the mirror, I see a human being so far away from norms, misogyny & labels. I live by my own rules now," Stodden added in a statement to PEOPLE. "I'm excited to show the world all of the sides to who I am on this new journey in music."

In March 2021, Courtney notably called out model Chrissy Teigen for cyberbullying after Teigen announced she was leaving social media due to 'hate' and 'negativity'.

Sharing several screenshots of Teigen bullying them, Courtney wrote "What a shame @chrissyteigen is leaving Twitter … it’s too ‘negative’ for herrrrrr #chrissyteigen #bully."

In an interview with the Daily Beast, Courtney went on to share Teigen would publically and privately threaten them by encouraging them to take a "dirt nap" and "go to sleep forever."

In a direct message, she told Stodden that she couldn't "wait for them to die."

After the interview went live, Teigen returned to Twitter to issue an apology — one that people did not buy.

"Not a lot of people are lucky enough to be held accountable for all their past bullshit in front of the entire world. I'm mortified and sad at who I used to be," Teigen wrote.

"I was an insecure, attention seeking troll. I am ashamed and completely embarrassed at my behaviour."

And I am so sorry I let you guys down. I will forever work on being better than I was 10 years ago, 1 year ago, 6 months ago.

— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) May 12, 2021

Courtney also announced their engagement to filmmaker Chris Sheng in 2021. According to PEOPLE, Courtney shared the news on Instagram, writing: "I said yes ... OH and the ring made me gag it's so beautiful."

Sheng wrote on Instagram, "We have both grown so much since we first met, and the fact that we have both been able to grow into better, stronger, more secure individuals while still being in a relationship together makes me have faith that this partnership will last a lifetime For the first time we're both experiencing unconditional love."

Image: Getty.

However, the engagement was broken off in 2023, and while the pair didn't comment on their relationship status at the time, the model's rep addressed the matter in a statement to Page Six, sharing, "Courtney is now a single woman. She is looking forward to telling her story."

In 2024, 29-year-old Courtney began dating 41-year-old film and TV producer Jared Safier — a four-time Emmy Award winner. 

According to TMZ, the couple were dating for six months after meeting on the set of a film.

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A post shared by Courtney Alexis Stodden (@courtneyastodden)

In a now-removed Instagram post from March, Courtney revealed the devastating news that the couple had experienced a miscarriage. 

"This is a hard one but I believe it to be important given others experience exactly this same thing in silence. I recently found out that I suffered an early miscarriage (around 10 weeks); it's been a roller coaster of emotions. I feel grief in every sense of the word," wrote Courtney.

"I'm sharing this to shine light on the fact that no matter how early a loss occurs, it's still a loss," continued Stodden. "I've tried to keep this to myself, just a few close relatives and friends know — but I thought it was important to just accept the fact and hopefully find some peace as there is strength in numbers."

"If this has happened to you or ever does, it's not your fault. God bless every one and count your blessings. We are all love ❤️," they wrote.

This post was originally published in May 2020 and has been updated on May 2024.

If this post brings up any issues for you, or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) — the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service. It doesn’t matter where you live, they will take your call and, if need be, refer you to a service closer to home.

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