Lifetime’s upcoming show is all about repairing celebrity mother/daughter relationships using therapy in a series appropriately titled The Mother/Daughter Project: Celebrity Edition. One of the pairs to watch this season is Courtney Stodden and her mother, Krista Keller. But, who is Keller and why is she on The Mother/Daughter Project?
Well, to answer that question, it’s necessary to go back to the start. Stodden, Keller's daughter, became known to the public when, according to Fox News, Keller let Stodden marry actor Doug Hutchinson from Lost when Stodden was 16 and Hutchinson was 51. According to Fox News, Hutchinson needed permission from Keller to marry Stodden, and Keller signed all the paperwork in 2011. In an August 2015 interview with Radar Online, Keller spoke about the wedding and said, "I do take full responsibility, however because I am the one that did sign the paper for her to marry this man ... If I had to do it all over again I cannot tell you if I would be signing that paper.”
Since 2011, Stodden has appeared on Couples Therapy, the UK version of Celebrity Big Brother, and her very own solo sex tape, according to Gawker — all before the age of 21. And, despite some tumultuous times, Stodden and Hutchinson are still together. Stodden and Keller's differing opinions on the marriage will be the source of some drama on the new Lifetime show, according to the previews.
But, that's not the only thing the mother/daughter pair has disagreed about. According to Us Weekly, Stodden and Keller severed their professional relationship in May 2015, with Keller stepping down as Stodden’s “momager." She issued the following statement to Us Weekly.
I love my daughter very much, but I decided to step down due to serious creative differences. I will also be on the lookout for people that I would like to manage to help them reach their goals in the entertainment industry. I plan to use my time now to help my husband, Reggie, with his Christian website called PowerSharing.com.
At the time, Stodden responded to her mother's resignation on Twitter:
Stodden turned 21 in August of 2015, and Keller spoke out to Radar Online (in the aforementioned article) about her relationship with her daughter. “Courtney is turning 21 and this will be the first time in my life that I have not been with my daughter on her birthday. Things are still very icy between us and I have not talked to her since she and I went our separate ways,” Keller said.
While on The Mother/Daughter Project: Celebrity Edition, will they mend things on national television? Only time will tell.
Images: Karolina Wojtasik/Lifetime
