What Happened to Courtney Stodden at 16? 'Her Parents Sold Her,' Internet Reacts to New Movie on Her Marriage to 51-Year-Old Doug Hutchison

In 2011, Hollywood actor Doug Hutchison, known for his roles in The Green Mile and Lost, married Courtney Stodden. He was 51 and she was 16.

The marriage sparked a media frenzy, with tabloids obsessing over the teenager's appearance and the couple's 35-year age gap. At the time, the narrative portrayed Stodden as a fame seeker who had willingly stepped into the spotlight.

More than a decade later, Stodden is rewriting that story. In a new Lifetime biographical drama, I Was a Child Bride: The Courtney Stodden Story, the audience will get to witness what exactly happened when she was 16, including her controversial marriage, exploitation and media scrutiny.

How Did It Begin?

Stodden, raised in Ocean Shores, Washington, was already competing in beauty pageants and releasing music when she reportedly met Hutchison in 2010 through online acting classes. The pair exchanged emails and calls for six months before Hutchison flew to Washington to meet her in person.

Despite being older than both her parents, Hutchison asked for permission to marry their daughter. According to reports, her parents, Krista Keller and Alex Stodden, consented to their marriage, thinking he was a 'good Christian man.'

Just two weeks later, Stodden married Hutchison in Las Vegas, where marriage under the age of 18 was legal with parental approval.

'Her Parents Sold Her' – Internet Reacts

The release of I Was a Child Bride has reignited outrage, not just at Hutchison, but also at her parents, who approved the marriage. Online, many users bluntly argue that 'she was just a child', pointing to the blurred lines between parental responsibility and Hollywood ambition.

Stodden's Instagram posts echo this sentiment. 'I look back at this picture and feel absolutely taken advantage of. I've been scared to speak up about feeling groomed because I was a child and he was 50.'

Stodden Became A Tabloid Punchline In Her Teens

In multiple interviews and documentaries, Stodden has shared that instead of being seen as a vulnerable minor, she was pushed into the role of a hyper-sexualised celebrity. Reality TV appearances like Couples Therapy (VH1) and Celebrity Big Brother (UK) intensified public scrutiny, often turning her into the punchline of cruel jokes.

Stodden recalls appearing on Dr Drew's Lifechangers at 17, where her chest was examined on live television to 'prove' she had not undergone cosmetic surgery.

Hutchison, meanwhile, leaned on the legality of their union as his defence. He was dropped by his agent and ostracised by Hollywood, but publicly maintained that their relationship was one of 'true love.'

Stoddens' Case Was Central to A Wider Conversation

According to reports, the couple legally separated in 2017, with their divorce finalised in 2020. By then, Stodden had become more vocal about child marriage in America, joining campaigns that pushed for legislative reform.

According to Unchained At Last, a non-profit campaigning to end child marriage in the US, nearly 300,000 minors were married between 2000 and 2018 — figures that put Stodden's case into a much larger national context.

The story has since become part of wider conversations about how the media treats young celebrities, with comparisons drawn to Britney Spears, Amanda Bynes, and other figures who endured scrutiny while underage.

Meanwhile, apart from being an active voice against child exploitation and grooming, Stodden, who identifies as non-binary, is also an animal rights activist with PETA.

In her personal life, Stodden has moved on and married producer Jared Safier in December 2024. Along with Stodden, Safier also served as a producer on I Was a Child Bride.