Model and singer Courtney Stodden is speaking out about her painful past — calling child marriage “America’s dirty little secret.”
At just 16 years old, Courtney became the main earner in her marriage to actor Doug Hutchison, who was 51 at the time — older than her father. Looking back now, she says she’s finally starting to understand how wrong it all was.
“When I first became famous, my brain wasn’t even fully grown,” Courtney told Fox News Digital. “I thought I knew everything, like most 16-year-olds do. But things changed really fast. I became the breadwinner.”
Courtney explained that many people wrongly thought she married for money — but in truth, it was the opposite.
“People blamed me, saying I did it for money. But I was a child making money for a man older than my dad,” she said. “I couldn’t even talk about how I really felt. I just buried it all inside. That led to a lot of pain and bad habits I kept secret for years.”
Now 31, Courtney says it’s been hard to face what really happened.
“It’s a tough pill to swallow,” she shared. “I’m finally seeing things clearly as an adult.”
“This Happens Right Here in America”
Courtney says that people often think child marriage only happens in other countries, but that’s not true.
“America’s dirty little secret is the legal loopholes that let grown men marry children,” she said. “That’s the real problem.”
She also revealed that many others have shared similar stories with her.
“I get messages all the time from people who say they were also child brides,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking because I know exactly how that feels.”
A Childhood Lost to Fame and Judgment
Courtney and Doug’s marriage was constantly in the spotlight. The couple’s 35-year age gap led to harsh criticism, public shaming, and endless media attention.
“I created a version of myself — a kind of character — to protect my feelings,” she said. “People were making fun of me instead of the person who hurt me. So I rebelled with my fashion and attitude.”
She says that pretending to be someone else helped her survive the pressure.
“I acted like their words didn’t bother me,” Courtney admitted. “In a weird way, that character I made actually saved me.”
Over time, though, she says she lost track of who she really was.
“I became that character for real. I forgot who I truly was for a long time.”
A New Start and a New Kind of Love
Courtney’s painful past didn’t stop her from believing in love again. In December 2024, she married TV producer Jared Safier in a small, intimate ceremony with close friends and family.
“He’s shown me what a healthy kind of love looks like,” Courtney said. “He makes me feel safe, which doesn’t come easy for me. I don’t know if I’ll ever fully trust again, but he’s helping me get there.”
Courtney also helped produce a Lifetime TV episode called “I Was a Child Bride: The Courtney Stodden Story.” She says working on it helped her heal — but it also brought up old emotions, especially about her parents.
“My parents thought Doug was a good man,” she said. “But not having my dad emotionally there really pushed me into that situation. Reopening that wound was one of the hardest parts.”
Moving Forward
Now in her 30s, Courtney says she’s learning to love herself again and hopes her story will open people’s eyes to the reality of child marriage in America.
“I want people to see that it’s not just a problem overseas,” she said. “It happens here too — and it needs to stop.”