Courtney Stodden's Journey to Becoming a Teen Bride Still Makes Us Cringe
Updated April 16 2020, 5:24 p.m. ET
When you become famous at 16 for marrying a 51-year-old, it’s only a matter of time before s--t hits the fan. That’s why we still feel uncomfortable looking back at photos of Courtney Stodden and her much older husband, Doug Hutchinson.
We can’t help but wonder how a beautiful young woman who had her whole life ahead of her quickly became a Marilyn Monroe caricature and the butt of cruel jokes. Here’s what we’ve learned about the now 24-year-old’s bizarre road to infamy.
Courtney’s parents approved of her relationship with Doug.
Given her daughter’s age, Courtney’s mom, Krista, had to give parental consent before the duo’s wedding in Las Vegas. "We are totally supportive of this marriage," she told RadarOnline after serving as a witness during the nuptials.
Doug and Courtney with her mom Krista.
Courtney’s dad, Alex, added, "Every father can only pray to have such a man behind their daughter."
Her parents’ support helped Courtney survive years of torment from classmates who made fun of her appearance. "The bullying really started when I got to 6th grade as I became way more developed than the others at an early age," she previously shared.
"This wasn’t a positive for me. I began to become very insecure about my body because of the negativity it attracted… I even had my left arm fractured due to some of the girls’ bullying and had to be home schooled."
The aspiring model admitted that she began to find comfort in the type of attention she received from men, including her future husband.
Courtney’s marriage at 16 made international headlines.
Though Doug was by no means an A-list actor — he’s best known for playing Percy Wetmore in The Green Mile — his wedding to Courtney in May 2011 rocked Hollywood and severely damaged his reputation.
"I got death threats calling me a pedophile, calling me a pervert," the now 59-year-old recalled on a 2012 episode of Couples Therapy. "My agent dropped me, my manager said by marrying Courtney [it] was like taking a gun and shooting my career in the head."
Despite the never-ending controversy surrounding their on-again, off-again relationship, Courtney and Doug stayed together for almost six years, even renewing their vows in 2016. But the pair, who suffered a miscarriage shortly after, separated in January 2017 and Courtney filed for divorce a year later.
Where is Courtney Stodden now?
In a recent interview with Fox News, the newly brunette singer revealed that she’s finally in a good place. "Even though I am still going through this divorce with Doug, it’s almost finished," she shared. "That entire process just ripped my soul out. And his too."
"We still have a lot of love for each other," she continued. "He’s been there for me and really wanting to help further my dreams, which is to get my album off the ground. That’s really my goal now. My inspiration is music."
Though Courtney’s parents championed her unconventional marriage at first, she confessed that she no longer speaks to her father. "Doug is two years older than him. I think he felt replaced," the PETA spokesperson explained, adding that her parents' divorce shortly after the wedding created more distance between them.
"My dad proceeded to throw away all of my childhood tapes and memories — he took everything to the dump and just threw them away," she shared. "And I’m his only child. That speaks volumes, the way he feels about his daughter."
We sincerely hope that Courtney can one day mend that broken relationship.
