Who is Courtney Stodden? Model reflects on Chrissy Teigen’s tweet that allegedly contributed to cyberbullying

Courtney Stodden, a model, reality television star, and singer, has been a public obsession for years. Stodden gained attention in 2011 when they married actor Doug Hutchison when he was 51 and she was 16.

Stodden has recently opened up about the cyberbullying they endured as a teen, specifically calling out model and television personality Chrissy Teigen's hurtful tweets.

Courtney Stodden, born in Washington in 1994, became a public figure through their success in beauty pageants and reality television. their 2011 marriage to Doug Hutchison was widely criticized for their age gap, making them frequent subjects for the media.

Despite their challenges, Courtney Stodden worked to forge a career in the entertainment industry, also taking part in several reality TV shows, including Celebrity Big Brother and Couples Therapy.

They have also released music and built a social media presence, openly addressing mental health challenges and embracing self-acceptance. In April 2021, Stodden came out as non-binary. They announced their new pronouns through an Instagram post that stated:

"They/them/theirs. I don’t Identify as she or her. I’ve never felt like I ever fit in anywhere."

Stodden talked about the cyberbullying they experienced after their marriage, in the recent ABC News documentary, IMPACT x Nightline: Confessions of a Child Bride. The online backlash took a toll on their mental health, and they even contemplated suicide, Stodden recalled saying:

"I did actually almost succeed at committing suicide because [the cyberbullying] was a huge part of it. I had a suicide letter written. I remember my last thought was, ‘You know, maybe I don’t deserve to be here when people that high up are telling me I don’t deserve to be.'"

The most prominent examples of bullying included Chrissy Teigen, who faced accusations in 2011 of making both public and private statements encouraging Stodden to self-harm.

---

A deeper look into the cyberbullying history between Courtney Stodden and Chrissy Teigen

According to Courtney Stodden, Teigen’s comments were especially damaging because of her high-profile status at the time. In tweets from 2011 and 2012 that resurfaced, Teigen reportedly wrote things like:

"My Friday fantasy: you. dirt nap."

Courtney Stodden told The Daily Beast that Chrissy Teigen not only bullied them publicly but also texted inappropriate messages privately:

"She wouldn’t just publicly tweet about wanting me to take ‘a dirt nap’ but would privately DM me and tell me to kill myself. Things like, ‘I can’t wait for you to die.'"

Chrissy Teigen faced intense criticism when her old tweets resurfaced in 2021. She apologized publicly in response, saying she regretted her past behavior. She said:

"I’m mortified and sad at who I used to be. I was an insecure, attention seeking troll, I am ashamed and completely embarrassed at my behavior but that is nothing compared to how I made Courtney feel."

In a statement, Courtney Stodden said that even though they accepted Teigen’s apology, they have never heard directly from Teigen or her team.