LAS VEGAS — Actor Doug Hutchison, 51, revealed Monday he has married 16-year-old Courtney Alexis Stodden, an aspiring country singer, according to E! News.
The couple insisted that despite the 35-year age gap, there is nothing strange about their relationship.
“We’re aware that our vast age difference is extremely controversial,” they said in a statement.
“But we’re very much in love and want to get the message out there that true love can be ageless,” the statement added.
The pair tied the knot in late May at a ceremony in Las Vegas.
In order for a minor to obtain a marriage license in Nevada, he or she must have the consent of a parent or legal guardian, which was no problem for Stodden.
“We are totally supportive of this marriage,” Courtney’s mother Krista Stodden told Radar Online, adding “Doug is a wonderful man and we love him. They are very much in love and we are so supportive of this.”
The bride’s mother was also protective of her daughter’s reputation, “Courtney was a virgin when she married Doug. She is a good Christian girl.”
Hutchison played Horace Goodspeed on the cult TV drama “Lost” and also appeared opposite Tom Hanks in “The Green Mile.”
Stodden is a former beauty pageant queen and is trying to launch a singing career.