California Governor Gavin Newsom has officially outlawed child marriage in the state, and advocate Courtney Stodden was front and center to celebrate the milestone—even bestowing a cheeky new moniker on the politician.
On Wednesday, Newsom signed AB 1267 into law, establishing 18 as the absolute minimum age for marriage and domestic partnerships in California. The historic legislation firmly closes previous legal loopholes that permitted minors to wed under the condition of parental consent. Newsom praised the bill as a crucial and "long overdue" measure to safeguard the state's youth, noting that California's children are now safer than ever.
Stodden, a well-known survivor of child marriage, attended the signing ceremony and later took to Instagram to share her emotional reaction.
"I spent years wishing someone had protected the little girl I used to be. Today, California protected the next one," Stodden wrote.
She also couldn't resist injecting a bit of her signature humor into the landmark day, revealing to her followers that she playfully called the governor "Daddy Newsom."
"What can I say? I’ve always had a weakness for a man with a pen," she joked.
Stodden's own highly publicized past is the driving force behind her advocacy. At just 16 years old, her parents legally authorized her marriage to then-50-year-old actor Doug Hutchison. Following their eventual divorce, Stodden has been highly vocal about the predatory and abusive nature of the relationship, channeling her trauma into a national fight against child exploitation.
Partnering with advocacy groups like Unchained At Last, Stodden made it clear that her mission is far from over. With California officially removing the parental consent exception, 17 states have now enacted total bans on child marriage.
Looking ahead to the rest of the country, Stodden declared: "California is only the beginning. All 50, baby."