Seinfeld alum Jason Alexander apologizes for 2012 sketch
Seinfeld alum Jason Alexander has apologized for a 2012 Funny or Die comedy sketch with then-17-year-old Courtney Stodden, calling it inappropriate and saying he truly regrets it. Stodden publicly criticized the sketch Monday, saying she could not legally consent as a minor. Alexander issued his statement to Page Six on Tuesday.
Key Takeaways
- Alexander told Page Six the 2012 sketch was inappropriate and that he truly regrets it.
- Stodden said on Instagram she was 17 and could not legally consent to take part.
- The Funny or Die bit, "The Don Clay Show with Courtney Stodden," also featured her then-husband, Doug Hutchison.
- Alexander is listed as a writer on the sketch, according to IMDb as cited by Page Six.
- Stodden, now 31, said she speaks out to push for stronger protections for children.
What did Jason Alexander say in his apology?
In a statement to Page Six on Tuesday, Alexander addressed the resurfaced material directly.
"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," the actor said.
"But more importantly, I am deeply sorry for any harm or distress it has caused Ms. Stodden," he added. "I offer her my sincerest apologies."
The apology landed a day after Stodden used Instagram to challenge the sketch and the adults involved in producing it.
Why did Courtney Stodden call out the sketch?
On Monday, Stodden posted about the 2012 Funny or Die sketch titled "The Don Clay Show with Courtney Stodden." She said Alexander repeatedly rubbed a phone across her breasts while joking there was "no signal" in her head but "plenty of signal" in her chest.
She also recalled a joke about him wanting to take her behind the couch and "have his way" with her when she turned 18. Stodden said Alexander is listed as a writer on the sketch in addition to starring in it with her and Hutchison.
"I was a minor. I didn't have the legal power to decide whether I wanted to participate. The contracts were signed by adults. The paycheck went to Doug," she wrote.
Stodden, now 31, said she does not see the bit as comedy looking back 14 years later and described herself as the "only child in the room." In a separate statement to Page Six, she said adults around her were responsible for her safety and that she sees those experiences differently as an adult.
How does this fit Stodden's wider advocacy?
Stodden and Hutchison wed in 2011 when she was 16 and he was 51. She has since called him a "predator" and "pedophile" for the marriage; Hutchison has dismissed her claim. She filed for divorce in 2018, and it was finalized in 2020. She is now married to producer Jared Safier.
She currently advocates for California's AB 1267, a bipartisan bill that would set the minimum marriage age at 18 with no exceptions. For more celebrity breaking news, follow BlasterPost's ongoing coverage.
"My reason for speaking out now isn't about revisiting the past for its own sake… it's about helping create a future where children are better protected and where adults in positions of power are held to a higher standard," Stodden told Page Six.