At the conclusion of the ABC interview with 16-year-old Courtney Stodden and her husband 51-year-old actor Doug Hutchison it is revealed that the two are looking to star in a reality show based on their controversial marriage. Before this interview aired I was a little surprised by their age difference but certainly felt like their age-gapped love affair was their business.
Something about the tone and demeanor in that interview changed my mind or at least weirded me out though. I did a little digging on the background of this very adult looking young woman from Ocean Shores, Washington. In a local write-up about Courtney in The North Coast News by Tom Scanlon he revealed some local insider information on the girl who has now burst upon the celebrity landscape.
One of Courtney’s claims to fame via her official website is that she became Miss Ocean Shores at the age of 15. Scanlon reveals that this accomplishment was simply achieved by her mother naming her as such and paying the entry fee. This designation along with the fee allowed Courtney to participate in Donald Trump’s Miss Teen U.S.A. Washington pageant.
Here’s a clip of some of Washington’s best young beauty pageant talents including Stoddard introducing herself and strutting in a bikini (her intro is at around the 1:22 mark and the swimsuit / evening gown competitions follows):
In Scanton’s local piece I believe it’s important to note that he was never put off by Stoddard or her mother and that while he wasn’t so sure of her talent level he was well aware of her determination and desire to become famous. In only the way you can in small town America he provides an anecdote about running into Courtney’s mom at the IGA. She tells him that she’s extremely excited for Courtney because:
“An actor in Los Angeles had seen one of Courtney’s videos, thought she had talent and wanted to meet her, possibly to become her agent or producer . . .”
As we all know now this actor became much more as Doug Hutchison married her.
Via the same YouTube account I came across another old Courtney video gem. In the following clip Stodden, in full costume, lip syncs and dances to Christina Aguilera’s “Candyman” at the tender age of 14.
No, that’s not enough as I present to you my current all time favorite Courtney Stodden video. In this clip which she titled, “Dancing With My True Love: Michael Jackson,” she dances in place during the entire musical video for Jackson’s hit “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough.” Are you ready!?!
Courtney is driven I have to give her that. I also believe it’s a near certainty that we will be seeing her and Doug on the reality television landscape in the very near future.
