How old was Courtney Stodden when she married Doug Hutchison? Reality TV star recalls ex-husband pushing her towards alcohol amid new sobriety journey

Courtney Stodden is accusing her estranged husband of allegedly nudging her to continue drinking as she now starts her sobriety journey.

The model and former beauty queen has chosen a new way of life after she left her former husband, whom she married when she was a minor. According to Blast, Stodden was 16 years old when she married Doug Hutchison, who was then 51 years old and 35 years her senior.

Courtney Stodden, now 30, shared a video online recounting her memories with Hutchison, now 65, as she referred to him as her former "groomer." She accused him of drinking "bottle and bottles of alcohol" a day, and tried to get her to do the same so that he could "control" her.

Scroll down to know everything she had to say.

Courtney Stodden opens up about her husband's alleged abuse, staying sober, and more

In her video, as reported by The Daily Mail, Courtney Stodden alleged that several of her friends are unhappy with her decision to quit drinking, as they don't know what they would do with a "healthy" version of her. However, despite the bouts of acne on her face and chest, she is committed to her new decision.

"If people don't get it, then maybe they shouldn't be around," she said, while the caption of the video read, "The painful truth."

The actress, who recently signed with Lifetime for a biopic, spoke to the Daily Mail about the positive aftermath of quitting alcohol:

"Giving up alcohol also helps with my mental health. I feel better without it," she said. "Alcohol was my escape for years, but it turned into a trap," Stodden explained. "I used it to survive trauma, but it ended up making me feel more lost and ashamed. This breakup isn't just with a substance—it's with a version of myself I'm ready to leave behind."

She further admitted:

"At some point, blacking out stopped being cute. I used alcohol to deal with pain, but all it did was make things messier—and make me louder in all the wrong ways. I'm finally cutting ties. Alcohol and I? Total toxic ex energy."

Courtney Stodden and Doug Hutchison divorced a decade after they tied the knot. ABC News reported back in July 2011 that they corresponded via email before they met for months, with Stodden's mother overseeing their texts. The pair eventually married with the latter's parents' consent.

Hutchison said his "world turned upside down" when he learned she was 16, ABC News reported at the time. "It didn't make me want to walk away, but it definitely was a struggle inside my heart … because I had already started falling for her."

Now, despite her 2011 interview with Nightline where she said Hutchison was her soulmate, Courtney Stodden is opening up about the struggles of their marriage and her relationship with alcohol.

"It stays with me, the pain, I won't stay quiet," she told Daily Mail of her marriage, referring to Doug as "emotionally abusive." "My voice is my power and for every voice silenced, I’ll shout louder. And I won’t ask for permission to do what’s right. Not anymore. I speak for that little girl within."

Stodden added:

"I am living life on my own terms now. Everything that's happened in my life, I have handled. I am strong, resilient. I am coming back to myself. I will never let anyone silence me again."

She also voiced her desire to help fellow victims and survivors, so that they "really tap into that part of themselves." Just a few days ago, Courtney Stodden took to Instagram to pen a heartfelt message about her commitment to being sober:

"Alcohol, I'm breaking up with you. 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. Last night was the last time. I'm done letting it control me. 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. To those who understand this battle, thank you."

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