Courtney Stodden has a very personal reason to celebrate California's latest push to ban child marriage in the US. More than a decade after marrying actor Doug Hutchison at 16, Stodden is now campaigning for a law that would make it illegal for anyone under 18 to marry in the state.
The former teen star celebrated after AB 1267 passed the California Senate unanimously on Wednesday, 19 August. The bill still needs final approval from the Assembly before it can head to Governor Gavin Newsom, but the vote marks a major step forward for advocates who have spent years fighting to close the state's child-marriage loopholes.
Courtney Stodden Calls the Milestone 'Historic'
Stodden shared her reaction on Instagram, calling the Senate vote 'historic'. She also highlighted the work she have done alongside Unchained At Last, a survivor-led US non-profit that provides direct services and campaigns to end forced and child marriage.
The former teen bride did not shy away from her own story while discussing why the legislation matters.
Stodden said she was 16 when she married Hutchison, who was 51. '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 explained.
She also pointed to what makes California's current law particularly striking. Despite its reputation as a progressive state, it has no statutory minimum age for marriage when parental consent and court approval are involved.
'We need Californians to speak up right now,' Stodden said, urging people to contact their Assembly members as the legislation moves through its final stage.
She ended the video with a message of determination: 'Today, we literally celebrate this victory. Tomorrow, we keep fighting because children should not be married. They should be protected.'
How Would AB 1267 Change Marriage Laws?
AB 1267 would end the exceptions that currently allow people under 18 to get married in California. Under the proposed law, 18 would become the minimum age for marriage and domestic partnership, with no exceptions—including for minors who are emancipated.
California is currently one of only three US states without a statutory minimum age for marriage under its existing exceptions. The other two are Mississippi and New Mexico.
In California, someone under 18 can currently marry with a court order and written consent from a parent or guardian. That is exactly the loophole AB 1267 is designed to close. If approved, the bill would make 18 the minimum legal age for marriage with no exceptions for children.
How Courtney Stodden Turned Experience Into Advocacy
Stodden's advocacy is closely tied to her experience as a teenager in the spotlight. Her 2011 marriage to Hutchison drew enormous media attention because of their 35-year age difference. The couple later separated, with their divorce finalised in 2020.
But the marriage was not the only experience from Stodden's teenage years that she has since revisited.
In recent months, she has also spoken about the way she were treated as a minor in entertainment. A resurfaced 2012 comedy sketch involving Stodden and Jason Alexander attracted renewed criticism this year because Stodden was 17 when it was filmed.
Alexander later apologised, while Stodden said accountability should lead to action, including support for AB 1267.
For Stodden, those experiences have become part of a much bigger conversation about how adults, the entertainment industry and the law treat children who may appear older or more mature than they are.
