Model and entertainer Courtney Stodden says that her ex-husband, actor Doug Hutchison, courted other teenagers before — and after — their nearly 10-year marriage.
The two were legally married in 2011 when Stodden was 16 years old, with her parents’ permission, and Hutchison was 51, and divorced in 2020. Stodden was Hutchison’s third wife.
A spokesperson for Hutchison — who is well-known for his roles in “The X-Files,” “The Green Mile,” and “Lost” — said that Stodden’s accusations are “categorically false” and verge on “litigious.”
What did she say?
Stodden, now 26, shared a post about the situation on her Instagram page on Tuesday. She said that Hutchison, who is now 60 years old, made her think that she and their marriage were “unique” and “special.”
Stodden also claimed that Hutchison courted teenagers before courting her, and also after their marriage ended.
Her
post said, “As a child, I literally went around the world standing up for my ex marriage. Actor Doug Hutchison (best known for playing Percy on #TheGreenMile) married me when I was 16. He was 50. I now know that I was being abused. I was made to think I was special, and this was a unique and special circumstance. Now I know the truth. I wasn’t the first child he courted. I wasn’t ‘special’ like he made me and the public believe.
“It wasn’t in fact ‘unique’ for him,” she alleged. “After the divorce, I found out that I wasn’t the first teen. And the kicker is, I wasn’t the last. Praying for this planet and all of the children in it! Especially the ones that men like him are grooming to feel important so they can gain control. My mission is to make it illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to get married. But for now, I’ll pray[.]”
A fiery statement in response
TheBlaze spoke to a representative for the actor, who dismissed Stodden’s claims as “categorically false, libelous, retaliatory, and verging on litigious.”
“Lest she forget, Ms. Stodden was three months shy of 17 when her parents CONSENTED to her marriage to Mr. Hutchison in Las Vegas, NV,” the spokesperson said. “This was a consensual and legal union. Ms. Stodden was never ‘groomed’ nor ‘abused’ and 21 years of age (an adult) when she promoted her 5-year wedding anniversary under the Hollywood Sign. No one held a gun to Ms. Stodden’s head.”
The rep added, “If Ms. Stodden truly believes that waiting one year until she was 18 to become married and her ‘mission’ is to fight for legislation to make it illegal for anyone to marry under the age of 18, that’s her prerogative. She may want to start in Austria, Bulgaria, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, and Portugal where apparently the age of consent — married or not — is as low as 14.”
Hutchison’s spokesperson told TheBlaze that Stodden’s mission, however, “appears less about protecting whom she refers to as ‘victims’ (including herself) and more about a vindictive character assassination of my client as well as a desperate attempt to remain ‘relevant’ in the media.”
The spokesperson concluded, “Though Ms. Stodden is welcome to her opinions and to use her social media platforms openly, I would encourage her to choose her words carefully as public misrepresentation and defamation of character are against the law.”