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Courtney Stodden is sharing her truth.
The new Lifetime movie, I Was a Child Bride: The Courtney Stodden Story, premieres September 27. The film, which is produced by Stodden and features her as a narrator, tells the story of her marriage at just 16 to Doug Hutchison, an actor three decades her senior. The 2011 event made tabloid headlines and turned Stodden – who was barely old enough to drive and still too young to vote – into a national punchline.
“You’ve probably heard my story. Courtney Stodden, the 16-year-old bride who married a 51-year-old actor,” Stodden says in the opening to the movie. (Holly Barrett plays Stodden in the film). “Maybe you remember the ridicule, the outrage, the late-night jokes. But what you think you know is what some of the media painted me to be. The true story, the real story, is so much more complicated and much worse.”
Courtney Stodden has remarried following Doug Hutchison divorce
Stodden and Hutchison’s tumultuous marriage ended for good in 2018; their divorce was finalized in 2020. She’s since found love with TV producer Jared Safier, whom she wed in December 2024.
“Thank you for giving me your truth and grace. I yearn to be loved, heard… understood,” she wrote in a September 2024 Instagram post about her soon-to-be husband. “Everyone craves these things; to be safe. You are safe with me, my sweet sweet pookie bear.”
With her first marriage behind her, Stodden is making it her mission to protect vulnerable young women like herself, she told Nightline earlier this year.
The Celebrity Big Brother U.K. alum, 31, now says that The Green Mile actor “groomed” her.
“It’s a child exploited,” she recently told Inside Edition. Stodden legally married Hutchison with her mother’s consent in Nevada. The state has since raised its marriage age, but teens under 18 can still marry in dozens of states.
“I realize the numbers are really disturbing,” she added. “How many minors are married to adults.”
Stodden has also spoken up about her struggles with alcohol and her journey toward sobriety.
“Alcohol, I’m breaking up with you,” Courtney wrote in a post on Instagram July 15 (via E! News). “It’s been a toxic relationship for years. Something I used to cope, to escape, to survive. But it’s hurt me more than it’s ever helped me—publicly and privately.”
“I’m done letting it control me,” she added. “I’m done feeling sick and ashamed. I want to be fully present in my life. I want to face my past, my trauma and my current reality with clear eyes and real strength.”
Stodden says she’s ‘healing’ from past trauma
While she’s made great strides, Stodden says that her healing journey from her traumatic past is ongoing.
“This movie made me realize how broken I’ve been but also how strong I’ve had to be,” she recently wrote on Instagram. “I thought I was healed until I sat down and watched it. The truth is my pain doesn’t feel like it has a beginning or an end. I slipped. After three months without alcohol I had a few drinks. I’m not proud but I’m human and that’s okay. Healing isn’t perfect.”
She also urged people to come to the movie with an open mind.
“Don’t just watch and judge,” she said. “Really listen.”
I Was a Child Bride: The Courtney Stodden Story airs Saturday, September 27 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Lifetime.
How to get help: If you or someone you know has been sexually abused, text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 for free and confidential support.
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