Courtney Stodden was ridiculed when she married actor Doug Hutchison in 2011. She was sixteen years of age, while Hutchison was fifty-one. Years later, when the couple divorced in 2020, Stodden revealed that she was groomed as a child and abused both emotionally and at times physically by Hutchison.
The ill treatment was, however, not just from Hutchison. In a recent Instagram post, Courtney Stodden has hit back at Dr. Drew over a resurfaced on-air ultrasound clip from her appearance on Lifechangers.
Courtney Stodden calls out Dr. Drew’s behavior in Lifechangers
In 2012, a few months after Courtney Stodden had married Doug Hutchison, she appeared on an episode of Lifechangers, a talk show hosted by Dr. Drew Pinsky. Along with Dr. Drew, a panel of experts helped people in dealing with various issues of their lives.
Courtney Stodden has recently posted on Instagram (@courtneyastodden) speaking out about her horrific experience on the show. Courtney posted three images from the episode she appeared in, along with a caption that described what happened and why it was wrong.
As Courtney Stodden states in the post, in the particular episode, Dr. Drew has her go through an ultrasound to find out whether her breasts are natural or implants. At that time, Courtney was a 16-year-old girl. It is wrong to subject anyone to an ultrasound in public, that too in front of a live audience. Dr. Drew subjected a minor to such a horrific situation when he knew she couldn’t protest.
As Stodden points out:
“I wasn’t an underage girl. I was a minor trapped in a situation that I wasn’t able to get out of legally. I had no rights at the time. The money he paid me to be on the show went straight to my abuser.”
In recent years, Stodden has spoken out about how Doug Hutchison had groomed and abused her. She has also vocally talked about how no one had protected her from any of this, not even her own family. She had begun a career in modeling and initially hoped to learn acting from Hutchison when she signed up for his workshop. What followed essentially ruined her life for years to come.
Not only was Stodden ridiculed on Lifechangers by Dr. Drew, but her abuser benefitted from it. In the Instagram post, Stodden also states,
“These photos bring up a lot of sadness for me because I see a little girl being exploited by grown men and used for views and mockery.”
This speaks volumes about Dr. Drew, the show’s executives, and the television industry at the time that allowed such a problematic thing to be even filmed and aired. Stodden ended the caption of the post with a few questions directed at Dr. Drew himself. She asked,
“Dr. Drew, what made you think this was a good idea? As a doctor, did you think this was actually healthy for a little girl to experience? Did you even care? @drdrewpinsky”
Dr. Drew is yet to release an official statement regarding the matter. However, Courtney Stodden has recently also posted about how Susan Sailer Pinsky, Drew Pinsky’s wife, has reacted to Stodden’s account of events and that Dr. Drew has subtly supported it.
On a video posted by Susan Sailer Pinsky (@firstladyoflove), which features her with her husband, a user (@diaryofpop) had commented,
“Justice for @courtneyastodden”
Susan Pinsky has replied to the comment saying,
“@diaryofpop I would love to talk to her on Ask Dr. Drew if @courtneyastodden wants to duke it out with Dr. Drew.”
Courtney Stodden posted a screenshot of the comment thread with a caption in which she states that Dr. Drew has liked his wife’s comment. Stodden went on to state that
“To me, that misses the point entirely. This isn’t entertainment. It isn’t a debate. It isn’t a ratings opportunity.”
While Dr. Drew hasn’t released an official statement, his and his wife’s stance towards the issue seems to be conveyed through these digital actions. Courtney Stodden again emphasized why what happened to her was wrong and thanked everyone who has supported her.
Stay tuned for more updates.
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Edited by Riddhee