Alexander says child marriage bill would show real sorry to Stodden
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Actor Jason Alexander has publicly apologised to Courtney Stodden over a 2012 Funny or Die sketch in which he rubbed a mobile phone against her breasts while she was 17, calling the segment "inappropriate" and saying he was "deeply sorry" for any harm caused. Stodden welcomed the public gesture but noted Alexander had still not apologised to her privately, and used the moment to press him for concrete action instead, asking him to back Unchained At Last's campaign for California's AB 1267 bill, which aims to end child marriage. The exchange has reignited scrutiny of Stodden's treatment as a teenager in the entertainment industry, including her marriage at 16 to actor Doug Hutchison, then 51.
In a follow-up statement and an accompanying Instagram post, Stodden said "meaningful action would be even more powerful" than words and described how Alexander had repeatedly rubbed his phone across her chest during the sketch while making sexual jokes, including a remark about what he intended to do with her once she turned 18. She said she felt she had no legal agency at the time, noting that adults, not her, signed the contracts and received payment, and that IMDb credits Alexander as one of the sketch's writers. She said the episode had motivated her ongoing advocacy for stronger legal protections for children.
- Jason Alexander apologised for a 2012 sketch involving Courtney Stodden, then 17.
- Stodden says he hasn't apologised privately; wants him to back AB 1267 instead.
- She detailed the sketch's sexual content and her lack of legal say at the time.
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Courtney Stodden and Jason Alexander, best known as an actor from the sitcom "Seinfeld", have a history dating back to a 2012 comedy sketch for the website Funny or Die. In the sketch, Alexander rubbed a mobile phone against Stodden's chest and made sexual remarks while she was still a minor, having married actor Doug Hutchison, then 51, at the age of 16. Alexander has since issued a public apology, calling the sketch "inappropriate" and saying he was "deeply sorry" for any harm it caused.
Stodden has welcomed the apology but says it has not been made to her directly, and is instead urging Alexander to support a campaign against child marriage. The bill in question, California's AB 1267, is being promoted by the advocacy group Unchained At Last, which works to end the practice of children marrying adults. Stodden argues that backing this legislation would carry more weight than words alone, and has also used the episode to call for stronger legal protections for children working in the entertainment industry.
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Originally published by The Hollywood Reporter as “‘Seinfeld’ Actor Jason Alexander Apologizes to Courtney Stodden for “Inappropriate” Sketch Filmed When She Was Underage”.