In a powerful and emotional revelation, Courtney Stodden has launched a heartfelt campaign to end underage marriages across Britain, drawing from their own traumatic experience of marrying actor Doug Hutchison at just sixteen years old.
The now-29-year-old reality star, who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, has broken their silence about the damaging consequences of their 2011 marriage to the then 51-year-old Green Mile actor.
'I Was Just a Child'
"I was a child - plain and simple," Courtney stated during an exclusive interview. "There's no way someone that young can comprehend the lifelong implications of marriage."
The couple's wedding sparked widespread controversy and media frenzy, with many questioning how such a union could be legally permitted. Courtney now admits they were "too young to understand what I was consenting to" and describes feeling "manipulated and unprepared" for the realities of married life.
The Fight for Legal Reform
Courtney is now channelling their painful experience into positive action, calling for urgent legislative changes in the UK:
- Raising the minimum marriage age to 18 without exceptions
- Implementing stricter background checks for age gap marriages
- Creating better support systems for young people considering marriage
- Increasing education about healthy relationships in schools
"The law needs to protect children, not enable these situations," they emphasised. "No sixteen-year-old should be making lifelong commitments to adults decades older."
Moving Forward with Purpose
Since their divorce in 2020 and subsequent gender transition journey, Courtney has found new purpose in advocacy work. They've been working quietly with several child protection organisations and are now ready to take their campaign public.
"If my story can prevent even one child from going through what I experienced, then sharing my pain will have been worth it," Courtney told reporters, their voice filled with determination.
The reality star's courageous stance has already begun generating parliamentary discussions about reviewing current marriage legislation, with several MPs expressing support for reform.
