‘Green Mile’ star Doug Hutchison (51) and his 16-year-old wife Courtney Stodden want people to “expand their minds about love”.
In an interview with E! News, Hutchison insisted that there was “nothing illegal or immoral” about his courtship with the teenage bride, which began innocently enough he was asked to discuss acting with the daughter of a friend.
“It turned from professional to personal, and slowly as we became more and more familiar with each other, it turned into long conversations...There was a lot of texting,” revealed Hutchison, who has also starred in TV shows like ‘Lost’ and ‘24’.
“Our communication was very innocent and open – there was nothing inappropriate about it whatsoever,” he added.
“There were no sexual innuendos, there was nothing until we began to fall for each other. We started using the L-word and confessing to one another we were having feelings for each other.”
“Falling for each other!” interjected Courtney.
Stodden is a Christian who had been “saving herself for marriage”, Hutchison said, confessing that he wished that he too was a virgin on their wedding night.
“I've got to say, if there's only one caveat to the ocean between our [ages],” he said.
“I wished I was a virgin when we met.”
Stodden, however, was quick to defend her man’s sexual appetite as the couple engaged in a playful show of affection.
“It's fine that he wasn't!” said Stodden. “He's a tiger!”
“You're so bad,” said Hutchison, nuzzling his young wife.
While many people were disturbed by this unusual love story, quite a few were not ready to believe that the mature looking Stodden was indeed 16-years-old.
The couple however happily provided a copy of her birth certificate to E! News as proof that they have nothing to hide.
“We had a lot of people, especially in my camp, because I'm in this profession, suggesting we keep [the relationship] under wraps for fear of the repercussions of whatever – career, perception – and I was adamant that I didn't want to hide,” said Hutchison.
He did however betray a bit of anger about the rumour that his wife was, according to one report, a “plastic Barbie doll” who had undergone plastic surgery.
“The truth of the matter is it's not true. Courtney is beautiful,” he said.
Stodden herself seemed unaffected by the rumour mongering.
“I don't take things too seriously,” she said. “I was born this way out of the womb.”
To which her adoring husband added: “God was her only plastic surgeon”.
The marriage has also given Hutchison’s career a big boost and he boasted that he has more career opportunities now than he has had in 22 years in showbiz.
“What's kind of blown my mind about how this has all gone so global and viral is that I have had more opportunity now...I‘ve been courted by producers, directors, agents, record executives...publishers, because I write,” he said.
“I don't think love is a career killer.” - IOL