Celebrity News
Courtney Stodden Shares ‘Incredible News’ About Bill to End Child Marriage After Tying the Knot at 16
Courtney Stodden is celebrating a win in her fight to end child marriage in California.
On Wednesday, August 19, the model posted a video on Instagram revealing she “just got some really incredible news.”
“AB 1267, the bill that would finally ban child marriage in California, just passed the Senate unanimously,” she shared. “I mean, every single senator voted yes, and this is historic.”
The former reality TV personality, 31, noted that she was just 16 when she wed 51-year-old Doug Hutchison. Stodden explained that she has told lawmakers about her experience.
“People can call that marriage, but I was still a child. A marriage license does not suddenly give [a] child the power or resources or freedom of an adult,” she stated. “California is still one of only three states with no minimum age to marriage, and I mean, like, think about that: a state that sees itself as progressive still has no legal floor protecting a child from marriage.”
AB 1267 would make the minimum age for marriage in the state 18. However, the Celebrity Big Brother alum said the fight is “not over,” telling her followers, “The bill goes to Assembly Judiciary Committee next, and we need Californians to speak up right now.”
“Today, we literally celebrate this victory. Tomorrow, we keep fighting because children should not be married. They should be protected,” she added. “This is great news.”
Stodden and Hutchison wed in 2011. She filed for divorce from the actor, 66, in 2018, and the pair finalized the divorce in 2020. The Couples Therapy alum then tied the knot with Jared Safier in 2024.
