Courtney Stodden who married 51-year-old actor at 16 prepares for significant life change 15 years on

Courtney Stodden has reflected on their controversial marriage to Doug Hutchison, saying the relationship was not a 'love story'.

In 2011, The Green Mile actor shocked the world when it was revealed that he'd married 16-year-old Stodden, who was 35 years his junior, at a chapel in Las Vegas after being introduced through an online acting class.

Despite Stodden still being a minor at the time, the marriage was considered legal due to their mother, Krista Keller, giving parental consent for the union. However, this did little to stop the backlash Hutchison received at the time, with the actor's career essentially grinding to a halt.

The couple ultimately went their separate ways after Stodden filed for divorce in 2018, which was finalised in 2020.

Over a decade on from the wedding day, Stodden has reflected on the ill-fated union in a new Instagram post.

Revealing she was planning to undergo a breast reduction, Stodden said she was too young to fully understand what was going on.

"15 years ago today, a 16-year-old girl was married off to a man 35 years older than her and the world treated her like the scandal instead of the victim," Stodden began.

Revealing she was a virgin and 'emotionally still a child', Stodden continued: "[I was] too young to understand what was about to happen to me behind closed doors for years.

"Just because a child says 'I do' does not mean she understands consent."

Stodden went on to explain that she'd decided to downsize the breast implants she got at the age of 18, adding: "For the first time in my life, my body feels like it belongs to me instead of the public that consumed it before I even became a woman.

"A child bride is not a love story... She’s a child surviving adult trauma in plain sight."

This isn't the first time Stodden has spoken critically of the former union.

In 2020, she accused Hutchison of grooming after the divorce was finalised, writing on Instagram: "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."

Hutchison has denied all allegations against him.

He said in a statement at the time: "These false malicious and egregious allegations are sadly and assumedly fueled by Courtney Stodden's insatiable and desperate desire to remain in the entertainment media limelight at all costs.

"Ms. Stodden has a history of unfortunate deception and/or exaggerations to depict herself as a 'victim,' using unsubstantiated and provocative terms like 'grooming,' 'abusive,' and 'predatory.'

"If you take the time to explore and unbiased deep dive into Ms. Stodden's deceptive and narcissistic nature — you would uncover a plethora of manipulative dishonesty."

In 2022, Stodden announced she was writing a book about her experience, telling PEOPLE that it had been 'challenging' to relive the alleged grooming she was subjected to.

"A lot of different chapters in my life have been challenging to live through once and then to kind of go back and relive it again in order to tell the story is extra challenging," she said at the time.

"It has shone a light on the grooming and what happened to me and what actually happens to a lot of other children in the USA as well," Stodden added to Fox News.

LADbible has contacted Doug Hutchison for a comment.