Jason Alexander apologizes for 2012 Courtney Stodden sketch
Jason Alexander has apologized to Courtney Stodden for a lewd 2012 Funny or Die sketch filmed when she was 17. The "Seinfeld" star called the skit "inappropriate" after Stodden said she lacked legal power to consent and that her then-husband signed the contracts.
Key Takeaways
- Courtney Stodden called out Jason Alexander on Instagram over a 2012 Funny or Die sketch made when she was 17.
- In the skit, Alexander's character rubbed a cellphone on Stodden's chest and made sexual jokes about her.
- Alexander told TMZ he agrees the sketch was inappropriate and offered "sincerest apologies."
- Stodden told the Daily Beast she hopes the apology becomes "more than just words."
What did Courtney Stodden say about the sketch?
On Monday, Stodden revisited the 14-year-old Funny or Die skit on Instagram. She posted an image of herself in a bikini at 17 as Alexander touched her breast with a cellphone, writing in part, "I was the only child in the room. I felt so alone."
The sketch, a parody of "Dr. Phil"-style daytime talk shows titled around Alexander's Donny Clay character, showed Stodden and then-husband Doug Hutchison seeking couples therapy. Alexander rubbed a cellphone on her chest, joking it was the only place with "full bars," and later said he would take her behind the couch and "have at you in a number of ways."
Stodden noted IMDb credits Alexander as one of the writers and pushed back on claims she willingly took part. "I was a minor. I didn't have the legal power to decide whether I wanted to participate," she wrote. "The contracts were signed by adults. The paycheck went to Doug. The production moved forward."
Stodden first drew international attention in 2011 after marrying Hutchison, then 51, at age 16. They separated in 2013. More on related coverage is in our celebrity breaking news section.
What did Jason Alexander say in his apology?
On Tuesday, Alexander apologized through NBC News reporting of his comments to TMZ.
"Looking back at the comedy sketch in which Ms. Stodden and I participated in 2012, I completely agree that it was inappropriate and I truly regret it," he said. "But more importantly, I am deeply sorry for any harm or distress it has caused Ms. Stodden. I offer her my sincerest apologies."
Alexander did not immediately respond to an NBC News request for further comment.
How has Courtney Stodden responded to the apology?
Stodden, now 31, told the Daily Beast she heard the apology from the 66-year-old actor but wants action behind it. "I hope it becomes more than just words," she said.
In recent years she has spoken out against child marriage and media exploitation. "I don't want to spend the rest of my life proving why what happened to me was wrong," she wrote on Instagram. "I want to spend it making sure the next child never has to explain why they deserved protection in the first place."
She added that if her voice carries weight, she wants to change "what we accept, what we ignore, and changing the laws that decide whether children are protected or left to navigate adult decisions they were never capable of making."