Courtney Stodden

Courtney Alexis Stodden is an American media personality, model, and singer born on August 29, 1994. Stodden first entered the entertainment industry through youth modeling and local television, but gained international media attention in 2011 at age 16 following her marriage to 51-year-old actor Doug Hutchison. The widespread public and media coverage surrounding the marriage led to appearances across numerous reality television programs. Stodden has since developed a career in music, television, and film, while becoming an advocate for animal rights and child marriage prevention.

Stodden was born in Tacoma, Washington, to parents Krista Kay Keller and Alex John Stodden, and was raised alongside two older sisters in Ocean Shores, Washington. From an early age, she pursued a passion for writing music and singing. During her youth, she experienced severe bullying and physical abuse at school related to her appearance, which resulted in a fractured arm. At age 16, her mother withdrew her from public school, after which she completed her education through homeschooling via an online private Christian academy.

Stodden began her career in media by hosting a local cable access program, The Courtney Stodden Show, in 2009. That same year, she competed as Miss Ocean Shores Teen USA in the Miss Washington Teen USA pageant. In 2010, she released several original songs, including "Car Candy" and "Don't Put It on Me." In 2012, Stodden and Hutchison joined the cast of the reality series Couples Therapy. She subsequently appeared as a housemate on the British television show Celebrity Big Brother in 2013 and participated in a PETA campaign promoting vegetarianism.

Over the following years, Stodden expanded her television career with appearances on Reality Ex-Wives, The Mother/Daughter Experiment: Celebrity Edition, Celebs Go Dating, and a self-titled reality show on the FNL Network. In 2016, she made her feature film debut in the independent movie Love Addict. She also signed a management deal with Rich Kid Mafia and released a solo video in 2015, donating the proceeds to charity. She later pursued projects including a cosmetics line, music recording, memoir writing, and digital content creation.

Stodden's personal life has remained a subject of ongoing media coverage. Her initial marriage to Hutchison took place in Las Vegas in May 2011. The couple experienced periods of separation and reconciliation before finalizing their divorce in March 2020. Stodden was later engaged to entrepreneur Chris Sheng from 2021 to 2023. In December 2024, she married film director and producer Jared Safier.

Stodden identifies as a Christian, bisexual, and non-binary, utilizing she/they pronouns. A practicing vegetarian motivated by empathy for animals, she frequently collaborates with PETA to promote plant-based living. Alongside her animal advocacy, she active campaigns against child marriage and supports legislative reform to raise the legal age of marriage.