Entertainment
Courtney Stodden comes out as non-binary and says their ‘spirit is fluid’
Courtney Stodden has come out as non-binary.
The model and reality star announced that they use they/them pronouns in a Instagram post shared this week.
The 26-year-old 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.’
Followers congratulated Courtney and praised them for living their truth.
The Celebrity Big Brother star also told Variety: ‘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.’
In 2017, Courtney came out as bisexual, and said they were open to dating women as well as men after splitting from their husband.
Courtney is best known for their ill-fated marriage to The Green Mile star Doug Hutchison, having tied the knot when they were 16 and Doug was 50.
The couple was married for nearly six years when they split in 2016, before officially divorcing in 2020, and Courtney has since said they felt ‘trapped’ in the marriage.
On Instagram, they wrote: ‘It’s March 3rd, 2020 – today I am officially divorced from actor Doug Hutchison. It’s an emotional day for me. God only knows how he’s feeling, but I can tell you that it’s for the better. I look back at this picture and feel absolutely taken advantage of.
‘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.
‘And to Doug… I’ll always love you; yet I’ll always be angry. You’ve left me — a child woman, feeling belittled and confused. These things I shall overcome. I wish you well. But please don’t ever do this to another minor again. It’s not right… even if the parent signs off. Wait a respectable amount of time before marrying. Children aren’t on your level. I’ll always love you regardless. Be better. As shall I.’
The star is set to release their new single Ple@sure on May 1, and told Variety that the music video was ‘so important for me to take control back from the men I’ve lived under’.
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