Courtney Stodden’s mother disputes portrayal in Lifetime biopic and denies pushing teen marriage

Krista Keller insists she never encouraged her daughter’s marriage at 16, in disagreement with scene in new biopic.

Krista Keller has responded to Lifetime’s new biopic I Was a Child Bride: The Courtney Stodden Story, which dramatises her daughter’s highly publicised teenage marriage to actor Doug Hutchison. The film, which premiered on September 27, recounts the events from Courtney Stodden’s perspective.

Courtney, now 31, married Hutchison in Las Vegas in 2011 at the age of 16, while he was 51. The union, legally permitted in Nevada with parental consent, drew global media attention and widespread criticism.

The couple later divorced, with Courtney, who identifies as non-binary, alleging they were groomed and exploited, claims Hutchison has denied.

While Keller supports her daughter’s involvement in the film, she told The U.S. Sun that she was “crushed” by a scene suggesting she encouraged the marriage.

“It’s showing me strong-arming her and going, ‘Yes Courtney, you want to do this, right?’ And that just never happened,” she said, stressing, “I did not force or even manipulate my daughter into this marriage.”

Keller acknowledged she was a “stage mom” and had signed Courtney up for an online acting workshop run by Hutchison, but said her role was limited to seeking opportunities.

She added that Lifetime’s disclaimer about adding dramatic elements allows for fictionalised portrayals, though she found this particular depiction “very hurtful.”

The film features Holly J. Barrett as Courtney, Maggie Lawson as Keller, and Doug Savant as Hutchison. Keller said she has not watched the entire production but saw the disputed scene in promotional material.

Reflecting on the past, Keller admitted she regrets not persuading her daughter to delay marriage. “I wish I would have talked her out of it. We were just in a situation, and I did not make the best decision,” she said.