Courtney Stodden made headlines and became one of Hollywood's most controversial stars when, at the age of 16, married 51-year-old "Lost" actor Doug Hutchison in 2011. After just two years of marriage, the two have called it quits, and in a new interview with E! News, Stodden opens up about her decision.
"I want to be free and embrace my independence and not neglect my youth," Stodden told E! in a sneak peek of the full interview, set to air tonight at 7 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. The interviewer also asked Stodden what happened between now and the time she called Hutchison her "soul mate."
News of Stodden and Hutchison's split broke earlier this month, along with reports that they plan on sharing joint custody of their dog, Dourtney.
"After two and a half years of marriage, Courtney and Doug have decided to become legally separated," a rep for 19-year-old Stodden said in a statement. "This is a mutual and amicable decision that they're making together."
The rep added that the 34-year age difference had nothing to do with their decision, though it is unlikely that the public will accept that rationale, especially since Stodden was recently caught on film flirting with with someone closer to her own age, 25-year-old Mario Falcone on "Celebrity Big Brother UK," which insiders claim was "the beginning of the end" for Stodden and Hutchison's relationship.
A source even told the Daily Mail that the decision to split was made by Stodden, leaving 53-year-old Hutchinson "heartbroken."
"Courtney has changed so much since being in that house. She is more independent and just wants to have fun like any 19 year old," they said.
Stodden met Hutchison through his online acting workshop, and with the consent of her mother, began a back-and-forth romantic correspondance for months which inevitably led to his proposal.
Hutchison has claimed multiple times that he was unaware that Stodden was just 16 when he met and fell in love with her, although he and Stodden's relationship has drawn a number of skeptics, including those who claim that Stodden is much older than she proports to be and that their marriage was a means of making them both tabloid sensations.
Click here to see sneak peeks of Courtney Stodden's E! News interview on her split from Doug Hutchinson.
