Courtney Stodden ‘opened up wounds’ producing Lifetime movie about her past: ‘It’s a horror story’

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Courtney Stodden relived her trauma producing a Lifetime made-for-TV movie about her painful past as a teen bride. (The reality star was just 16 when she married then-51-year-old The Green Mile actor Doug Hutchison in 2011.) In an exclusive interview with Wonderwall.com, the Celebrity Big Brother alum comes clean about opening old wounds for I Was a Child Bride: The Courtney Stodden Story, why it was time to tell her story, how the process helped her heal, advocating for other victims and more.

Keep reading for the highlights from our chat…

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Opening Old Wounds

“For the first time, I can actually call myself a survivor,” Courtney Stodden says of her growth. “I thought I was healed from everything. I really did. I’ve been through a decade of therapy twice a week before this project started. So when I got this movie, I thought, ‘I’m ready. I’m strong. All my wounds are healed.’ I quickly realized that was not the case. When I was 16, I had no idea what I was getting myself into [marrying an older man] — especially when you’re being controlled and groomed and not realizing what’s happening. Now that my brain has developed at 31, sitting and watching the screener of this movie opened up wounds that I didn’t even know existed inside of me. But now, I’m seeing clearly for the first time.”

Telling Her Story

“I’m realizing in real time what has happened to me because now I’m an adult. It’s a horror story,” Courtney Stodden says of her trauma. “But what has all of this pain been for if not to help [others]?”

Becoming Her Own Hero

“I need to save myself. For the first time, I’m realizing that,” Courtney Stodden says. “This is a movie. It is a PG version of my trauma and what I’ve experienced. But even in that PG process, it has absolutely broken my heart. Thankfully, I’m in a place right now where I know no one’s coming to save me.”

Advocating for Others

“I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this if it weren’t for, unfortunately, the thousands — I’m not even exaggerating — of messages a day that I get from concerned parents,” Courtney Stodden says of becoming an advocate for young people who are being exploited. “Every time I open my direct messages, it is terrifying to know that I’m not alone. But there’s strength in numbers. There are 34 states in America that still allow adult predators, to sign, to coerce and groom — whether it’s the parents, the child or both, whatever the situation is — and then have legal permission that says it’s okay to creep on a minor legally.”

I Was a Child Bride: The Courtney Stodden Story is streaming now on Hulu, Prime Video, Apple TV and more platforms. It’s also available for purchase.