As conversation around the media's mistreatment of young women like Britney Spears continues, more examples of pop culture's predatory and misogynistic history continue to pop up. 26-year-old Courtney Stodden is among the many people who were blasted for issues beyond their control, and unfortunately, Chrissy Teigen was an active part of that harassment.
In a candid interview with The Daily Beast, Stodden recalled their harrowing experience with the media. Stodden found themselves at the center or discussion in 2011 when they famously married acting coach Doug Hutchison, the scandal tied up in their massive age gap; Hutchinson was 50 years old, and Stodden was only 16, but their mother still approved the legal union nonetheless.
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Despite being in a disturbing, abusive situation, Stodden was vilified and made fun of in the media. They told The Daily Beast that the humiliation followed them online, with celebrities making fun of them and even sending death threats. Stodden says that Teigen was among the many people bullying them at the time.
"There were a lot of celebrities acting like playground bullies," they said. "Some of the worst treatment I got was from women, and we’re not going to get anywhere if we keep holding each other back."
"[Chrissy] wouldn’t just publicly tweet about wanting me to take 'a dirt nap' but would privately DM me and tell me to kill myself. Things like, 'I can’t wait for you to die.'"
It's initially shocking to hear that Teigen would have willingly been part of the active harassment of a young woman, but the model and food influencer admitted her role in Stodden's cyberbullying. In a new string of tweets, Teigen addressed Stodden's interview and apologized for her cruel behaviour, sharing that her public apology followed up a private attempt to contact Stodden, who hasn't yet responded to the Cravings writer.
is nothing compared to how I made Courtney feel. I have worked so hard to give you guys joy and be beloved and the feeling of letting you down is nearly unbearable, truly. These were not my only mistakes and surely won’t be my last as hard as I try but god I will try!!
— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) May 12, 2021
And I am so sorry I let you guys down. I will forever work on being better than I was 10 years ago, 1 year ago, 6 months ago.
— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) May 12, 2021
“Not a lot of people are lucky enough to be held accountable for all their past bullshit in front of the entire world,” Teigen tweeted to her millions of followers on Tuesday, May 12. “I’m mortified and sad at who I used to be. I was an insecure, attention seeking troll. I am ashamed and completely embarrassed at my behavior but that is nothing compared to how I made Courtney feel."
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On Instagram, Stodden accepted the apology, but claimed that Teigen, nor her team, ever personally reached out to them to apologize or talk about what happened. "I accept her apology and forgive her. But the truth remains the same, I have never heard from her or her camp in private," Stodden wrote. Stodden also claims Teigen blocked her on Twitter.
"All of me wants to believe this is a sincere apology, but it feels like a public attempt to save her partnerships with Target and other brands who are realizing her “wokeness” is a broken record," they added.
A belated apology — even a conflicting one — is better than no apology at all, but how great would it have been if Stodden had never been verbally abused and harassed to begin with?
Refinery29 has reached out to Stodden's representatives.