Jason Alexander Apologizes to Courtney Stodden for 2012 Underage Sketch

Jason Alexander has apologized to Courtney Stodden for filming an inappropriate comedy sketch with her in 2012 when she was a minor. The apology, reported by Deadline, addresses a video for Funny or Die that has been resurfaced as Stodden advocates for legislation to end child marriage.

Alexander, best known for playing George Costanza on Seinfeld, provided a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. "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."

What did Stodden say about the sketch?

In an Instagram post, Stodden, who was 17 at the time of filming, described the sketch's content. "During this comedy sketch, Jason Alexander repeatedly rubbed his phone across my breasts while saying there was ‘no signal’ in my head but ‘plenty of signal’ in my chest," she wrote. "Later in the sketch, he joked that when I turned 18 he’d like to take me behind the couch and ‘have his way’ with me." Stodden noted that IMDb credits Alexander as one of the writers of the episode.

She emphasized her legal status as a minor during the production. "I was a minor. I didn’t have the legal power to decide whether I wanted to participate," Stodden wrote. "The contracts were signed by adults. The paycheck went to Doug [Hutchison]. The production moved forward. I was the only child in the room. I felt so alone."

How did Stodden respond to the apology?

In a follow-up statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Stodden acknowledged Alexander's public apology but called for more substantive support. "I appreciate Jason Alexander’s public apology. People keep asking if he’s apologized privately, and he hasn’t," she said. "A private apology would be meaningful, but meaningful action would be even more powerful."

Stodden directly invited Alexander to join her advocacy efforts. "If he truly regrets what happened, I’d invite him to support Unchained At Last and the fight to end child marriage through AB 1267," she stated. "That’s how we turn accountability into lasting change."

Why is Stodden speaking out now?

The television personality is currently advocating for California Assembly Bill 1267, which would ban child marriage in the state. Stodden herself was 16 when she married 51-year-old actor Doug Hutchison in 2011. She said revisiting the 2012 sketch underscores the need for stronger legal protections for minors.

"Looking back now, I don’t see comedy. I see a 17-year-old girl whose body became part of an adult joke," Stodden wrote. "Children deserve laws that protect them. They shouldn’t have to become adults before realizing the law should have protected them all along."