Krista Keller talks about pushing her teenage daughter to marry man older than her father

Nov 2, 2011 08:04 GMT  ·  By
Courtney Stodden (16) and Doug Hutchison (51) on their wedding day in May 2011
   Courtney Stodden (16) and Doug Hutchison (51) on their wedding day in May 2011

At 51, character actor Doug Hutchison married a 16-year-old girl, Courtney Stodden. Their union is legal because her parents gave it their blessing. Even more, it was Courtney's mother, Krista Keller who insisted they got married at that age.

The couple has long been getting headlines because of the unlikely union and still persisting doubts that Courtney is actually 17 as she claims to be.

Not only was she 16 when she fell in love with Doug, her mother says in a recent interview with The Daily Beast, but she also knew from the start she wanted to spend the rest of her life with the man who is older than her own father.

It was Krista who actually pushed the two into marriage so soon after getting romantic online, she is proud to say.

The two began chatting online because Courtney wanted Doug's help to kick-start her own career in Hollywood. In almost no time, they were flirting and exchanging romantic pleasantries.

Keller says she constantly monitored the exchange and, when she was told Doug was seriously in love with her daughter, she told her to marry him even though they both wanted to wait until she became of age.

“It was very admirable on his end. Then he called to tell me they were falling for each other. I could really tell my daughter had the kind of love when you want to marry a man or be with a man,” Keller says for the publication.

Not only was she convinced of Courtney's feelings for Doug, but she also knew for a fact that he wasn't with Courtney because of her looks, but because he had first gotten to know the person she was inside.

“I had felt and lived it and seen how it matured to love. See, with Courtney, with the way she looks: how is she ever going to know if someone loves her for how she looks or for her heart?” Keller asks.

“I wanted her to be with somebody – and she wanted to be with somebody – that loved her for her heart. So this was perfect for her! To have a long-distance relationship to where they could just communicate through words, there was no sexual anything, we knew he loved her for her heart,” she adds.

Keller has since moved to Los Angeles to mentor her daughter and make sure she gets her career in showbiz off the ground. She's not only her manager, but also her makeup and fashion stylist.