Courtney Stodden has come out as non-binary!
On Tuesday, the 26-year-old hopped on social media to share a heartfelt message addressing their gender identity and how they use they/them pronouns now. Stodden wrote:
“They/them/theirs. I don’t Identify as she or her. I’ve never felt like I ever fit in anywhere. I was bullied horribly in school because I was different. The other girls never understood me. It got so bad that my mom pulled me out of school. And still, I don’t fit in. I never really connected with anyone my age. My spirit is fluid with a kaleidoscope of color. #bekind #beopen #loveyourself.”
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Following the announcement, Stodden received a ton of support from fans in the comments section. The Washington native later told Variety in a statement about how they are ready to finally live their most authentic life.
“I’m excited to begin to truly start expressing myself without worry of others’ judgments or opinions. I’ve lived too long hiding from who I really am. I’m so excited for everyone to see my true self creatively and spiritually.”
As you may know, the young star rose to media fame in 2011 after marrying then 51-year-old actor Doug Hutchison in a Las Vegas ceremony at just 16. Stodden’s mother had to give the two parental consent for the marriage due to the age of consent laws, and the relationship (rightfully) faced a ton of criticism over the large age gap. Following their controversial wedding, a spokesperson for the couple told E! News:
“We’re aware that our vast age difference is extremely controversial. But we’re very much in love and want to get the message out there that true love can be ageless.”
However, the duo officially broke up in February 2017 after previously separating in 2013 and reconciling in a vow renewal ceremony in 2016. The star opened up to Us Weekly about the divorce, saying:
“I was scared to live without a man who convinced me that I couldn’t live without him nor would I ever find love again.”
And when the divorce was finalized in March 2020, Courtney wrote in a long IG post about how Hutchison groomed and verbally abused them throughout the relationship.
“I’ve been scared to even speak up about feeling groomed or being verbally abused during the almost 10-year marriage because I was a child and he was 50 when we married. But I’m a woman now and it’s time for me to put my big girl pants on and speak on this matter. I’ve felt completely trapped, manipulated and at times abandoned by adults. Growing up in such an environment — it became a lonely and dark place.”
Congrats, Courtney for finally being able to get to live as your authentic self! We’re so happy for you!
[Image via Courtney Stodden/Instagram]
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