“Teen Bride” Courtney Stodden claims she was physically attacked by former Real Housewives of New York City star Alex McCord while they were participating in the VH1 reality show Couples Therapy .
Eighteen-year-old Stodden and her 52-year-old husband Doug Hutchison have been a polarizing presence on the popular VH1 show which features celebrity couples seeking therapy from relationship expert Dr. Jenn Berman.
Stodden, who was 17 at the time of taping, has been the brunt of numerous jokes by other members of the cast; most especially by fellow couple Nik Richie and Shayne Lamas.
Richie, founder of celebrity gossip site The Dirty, went so far as to call Stodden a piece of trash and Hutchison a pervert and pedophile. His wife Shayne Lamas of The Bachelor 12 fame can frequently be seen engaging both Stodden and Hutchison in verbal altercations and refusing to participate in group activities because she finds the teen’s outfits to be inappropriate and distracting.
Given that, it is surprising to find out Stodden is accusing cast member Alex McCord of attacking her. McCord appears on Couples Therapy with her husband Simon Van Kempen as they come to grips with the toll their appearance on RHONYC has taken on their marriage and on their children.
The Huffington Post’s Rob Shuter sat down with McCord to get her side of the story, and her “attack” on Stodden isn’t exactly the physical altercation you probably have in mind:
“I, along with everyone else in the house, was getting sick of Courtney and her teenaged striptease. At one point, I overheard Dr. Jenn [Berman] giving what sounded like an ultimatum about Courtney’s dress, and I just wanted to wipe that condescending smirk off her face … Rightly or wrongly, I decided to take matters into my own hands, raced into my bedroom, grabbed a few singles and tucked them in her miniscule skirt … I figured if she’s going to dress like a stripper we might as well drop the pretense — and it’s rude not to tip.”
What do you think? Does it sound like Stodden was “physically attacked” or completely embarrassed by McCord? Are you watching Couples Therapy Wednesdays at 9 pm on VH1? What do you think of Stodden and Hutchison’s antics?
All Photos © VH1