A mother gives the blessing for her 16 year old daughter to marry a 51 year old man and the marriage is performed. Sounds like something you might hear of in the Middle East, but nope, this story happened right here in the United States:

Cue the reality show: Doug Hutchison, a 51-year-old actor who has appeared in Lost, The Green Mile, and The X-Files, married 16-year-old aspiring country star Courtney Alexis Stodden in Las Vegas last month. “We’re aware that our vast age difference is extremely controversial,” the couple told E! Online through a spokeswoman. “But we’re very much in love and want to get the message out there that true love can be ageless.” Nevada requires marriage applicants to be 18 years of age. Luckily for Stodden, a former Miss Teen USA contestant, she had her mother’s blessing. “We are totally supportive of this marriage,” her mother tells RadarOnline.com, before over-sharing: “Courtney was a virgin when she married Doug. She is a good Christian girl.”

And yet we have 18 and 19 year olds in this country going to jail and being labeled sex offenders for having sex with their 16 and 17 year old girlfriends.

Who says money can’t buy you love?