Most people prefer to deal with their personal issues behind closed doors. Unless you’re a reality star, in which case your livelihood depends on self-exploitation.
Courtney Stodden recently spoke to Huffington Post about why she chose to go on Lifetime’s The Mother/Daughter Experiment: Celebrity Edition with her estranged mom, Krista Keller.
“I have [a] very troubling relationship with my mother and I trusted that Dr. Debbie and Lifetime could really be sensitive to my situation and attempt to help us through our issues,” Stodden explained.
“It wasn’t an easy decision, because I deal with a lot of hurt and anger and emotions toward the situation but overall I thought it would be a good decision and journey.”
Stodden accused Keller of falling in love with her husband, actor Doug Hutchison, whom Stodden married in 2011 at the age of 16 (he was 51 at the time). Keller owned up to it throughout the season, to the horror of other participants, including Heidi Montag’s mom, Darlene and Kim Richards.
“Doug wasn’t the first guy she’s fallen in love with,” Stodden revealed. “She’s done it with past boyfriends of mine.
“I kind of knew for a while; when I was a really young teenage girl my mom was emotionally attached to a teenager whom I knew. I think from a young age I was aware she never set appropriate boundaries for me and our relationship and, even when I was young, I realized the inappropriateness of our relationship.”
Keller accused Hutchison of “brainwashing her daughter,” which Stodden vehemently denies.
“That’s a really ridiculous statement. I don’t want to say my mom brainwashed me at some point, but once I took the blinders off and saw what kind of parent my mom was becoming, I started to realize what an awful relationship we actually had.”
Stodden and Hutchison will celebrate their upcoming fifth anniversary by renewing their vows.