Courtney Stodden Fronts Provocative PETA Campaign Against Leather Industry
This week in Hollywood, media personality Courtney Stodden, aged 31, participated in a striking photo shoot for the non-profit organization PETA, wearing a revealing stringy black bikini. During the production, Stodden was doused in a thick black substance closely resembling tar, creating a visceral visual statement for the campaign's launch.
The Campaign's Powerful Imagery and Message
Just two days after the shoot, the final campaign images were unveiled across social media platforms. The visuals featured Stodden completely nude against a stark white backdrop, her body dripping with the onyx slime. Bold text superimposed around her head declared, 'Leather is a dirty business,' concluding with the urgent plea, 'Wear vegan.'
In the background, a row of black leather jackets, also coated in the tar-like material, reinforced the campaign's central theme. PETA elaborated on the message via Instagram, stating, '@courtneyastodden airs leather’s dirty laundry and reminds shoppers that every leather bag starts as someone’s skin. Drop the baggage and choose vegan leather instead.' Another post emphasized, 'The REAL cost of leather is on display... carrying animal skin is never a good look. Ditch leather and stick to vegan leather options instead!'
Behind the Scenes and Broader Advocacy
An accompanying video featured a voiceover from Stodden, who listed harmful substances associated with leather production, including coal, formaldehyde, chromium, blood, feces, arsenic, fossil fuels, lime, and sludge. The camera panned across her body as she spoke, with her red lipstick highlighted to underscore the message. Stodden also connected the leather industry to broader issues such as child labor, cancer risks, chemical pollution, deforestation, and methane emissions.
On her personal Instagram account, Stodden shared a behind-the-scenes image from the shoot, captioning it, 'Your jacket shouldn’t cost a life #crueltyfree @peta.' This advocacy work aligns with her recent public mission to raise awareness about underage marriage, a cause stemming from her personal history.
Stodden's Personal Journey and Activism
The public figure first gained widespread attention in 2011 when she married her ex-husband, Doug Hutchison, at just 16 years old, with her parents legally consenting to the union. Now, Stodden is actively campaigning to prevent similar experiences for other minors. She told People magazine last year, 'I don't want this to happen to anyone else, and it scares me,' noting that underage marriage with parental permission remains legal in over half of the United States.
Stodden added, 'We're the hotbed for the dirty little secret, which are pedophiles marrying our children legally in the United States, so that's why I'm speaking out.' Her divorce from Hutchison was finalized in 2020, and she married Jared Safier in 2024. Reflecting on her past, Stodden recently worked on a Lifetime biopic about her life, I Was a Child Bride: The Courtney Stodden Story, which she produced alongside her husband.
She shared with People, 'I'm glad I did it, but boy, it's been hard to watch it. It's something I've lived through, and it's the PG version, it's the TV version. A lot of scenes were cut because it was too much for TV.' Stodden concluded, 'It's the craziest story I've ever heard, and it's my own.' This blend of personal advocacy and high-profile campaigning continues to shape her public persona and impact.
