Jason Alexander apologizes to Courtney Stodden over 2012 sketch
The actor said he regrets a Funny or Die bit after Stodden said she was 17 and surrounded by adults when it was made.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
Jason Alexander has apologized to Courtney Stodden after she criticized a 2012 Funny or Die comedy sketch they appeared in together while she was still 17.
TMZ reported that the “Seinfeld” actor said he now agrees the sketch was inappropriate and regrets taking part in it. Alexander also apologized to Stodden for any pain or distress the bit caused her, according to the outlet.
The apology followed an Instagram post from Stodden, who said the old sketch included Alexander moving a cellphone across her chest while making a joke about a lack of signal in her head and a better signal in her chest.
Stodden also alleged Alexander made a joke in the sketch about taking her “behind the couch” and “having his way” with her after she turned 18.
Stodden says she was the only minor in the room
Stodden, now 31, said she was 17 when the sketch was made and described herself as the only child present. She questioned how adults involved in the production could have viewed the material as acceptable.
According to Stodden’s post, Alexander was also credited as one of the sketch’s writers. She used that point to challenge the idea that the moment was accidental or harmless.
Stodden also addressed criticism that she had agreed to appear in the video. She argued that, because she was underage, she could not legally make those choices for herself.
She said adults signed the contracts connected to the work and claimed the money went to her then-husband, actor Doug Hutchison. Stodden married Hutchison when she was 16.
A public reckoning with an old clip
The sketch resurfaced as Stodden has continued to speak publicly about what she says happened to her as a teenager in the entertainment world.
Stodden has become an advocate against child marriage and has repeatedly said adults exploited her while she was underage.
Alexander’s statement to TMZ did not dispute Stodden’s age at the time or her description of the sketch’s subject matter. He said, in substance, that he looks back on the bit as wrong and offered her an apology.
The public exchange puts fresh attention on a period when Stodden was widely covered by celebrity media after marrying Hutchison as a teenager.
Stodden’s latest comments framed the 2012 sketch not as an isolated bad joke, but as part of a broader pattern she says involved adults making decisions around her while she was still a minor.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.