More than a decade after a controversial comedy sketch that featured a minor as the butt of sexualized jokes, veteran Hollywood actor Jason Alexander has issued a public apology to Courtney Stodden, the reality TV star who was just 17 years old when the segment was filmed. The 2012 sketch, produced by digital comedy platform Funny or Die, parodied daytime talk shows in the vein of *Dr. Phil*, and has resurfaced in recent weeks to renewed public backlash over its inappropriate content.
In the resurfaced clip, Alexander — best known for his decades-long fame as George Costanza on the iconic sitcom *Seinfeld* — performs a crude bit where he rubs a mobile phone across Stodden’s chest, joking that there was “no signal” on her head but “plenty of signal” in her breasts. The sketch closes with another problematic joke, where Alexander quips that he would take Stodden behind a couch and “have his way” with her once she turned 18. Stodden also confirmed that Alexander was credited as one of the sketch’s writers, adding a layer of accountability to his involvement.
Earlier this month, Stodden, now 31, reposted the clip to her Instagram with a heartfelt reflection on the harm the experience caused her. “The older I get, the more impossible this is to understand,” she wrote. “Looking back now, I don’t see comedy. I see a 17-year-old girl whose body became part of an adult joke. I was a minor. I didn’t have the legal power to decide whether I wanted to participate… I was the only child in the room. I felt so alone.” Stodden went on to question how a room full of adult industry professionals could deem the sexualization of a minor acceptable content for a comedy sketch.
After Stodden’s public post drew widespread media attention, Alexander released a formal statement to multiple major U.S. entertainment outlets acknowledging the sketch was wrong. “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,” Alexander said. “But more importantly, I am deeply sorry for any harm or distress it has caused Ms Stodden. I offer her my sincerest apologies.”
This conversation comes amid Stodden’s ongoing advocacy work to end child marriage in her home state of California. Stodden herself was married at 16 to 51-year-old actor Doug Hutchison in 2011, a union that was legally allowed at the time because her parents granted consent. The pair finalized their divorce in 2020, and Stodden has since become a prominent voice for reform. Currently, 33 U.S. states still allow 16- and 17-year-olds to marry with parental approval or a judicial waiver, a practice Stodden has spent years fighting to eliminate.
California is currently considering AB 1267, a bill that would set the absolute minimum age for marriage at 18, eliminating all exceptions for underage marriage. Stodden said she appreciated Alexander’s public apology, but pushed for more concrete accountability. “People keep asking if he’s apologised privately, and he hasn’t. A private apology would be meaningful, but meaningful action would be even more powerful,” she told reporters. “If he truly regrets what happened, I’d invite him to support [campaign group] Unchained At Last and the fight to end child marriage through AB 1267. That’s how we turn accountability into lasting change.”
Beyond his breakout role on *Seinfeld*, Alexander has built a decades-long career in Hollywood with credits on hit series including *ER* and films like *Pretty Woman* and *Shallow Hal*. Stodden, who rose to fame following her 2011 marriage, has built a public profile through appearances on reality shows including *Couples Therapy*, *Celebrity Big Brother*, *Reality Ex-Wives*, and *Celebs Go Dating*.