Jason Alexander waited nearly 15 years to apologize for a deeply disturbing comedy sketch.
The “Seinfeld” star finally addressed a 2012 video where he, then 52, fondled 17-year-old Courtney Stodden’s breasts with a cell phone. During the segment, Alexander also joked about taking the teenager behind a couch to have his way with her once she turned 18.
In a recent public statement, Alexander expressed profound remorse for his actions. “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.”
The Exploitative Sketch
Courtney Stodden advocating for change
The sketch, a “Dr. Phil” parody titled “The Donny Clay Show,” originally aired on Funny or Die in January 2012. It featured Stodden alongside Doug Hutchison, the journeyman actor who infamously married her in 2011 when he was 51 and she was just 16.
At the time, the media largely treated Stodden as a punchline. Hutchison, meanwhile, faced almost no public accountability for his predatory behavior.
Alexander’s apology arrived after Stodden, now 31 and divorced from Hutchison, published an Instagram post detailing her trauma. She described feeling incredibly isolated and exploited during the video shoot.
Fighting for Legal Change
Stodden appreciated Alexander taking responsibility, viewing it as a rare instance of an adult from her past owning up to their actions. However, she believes an apology is only the starting point.
“When I first got word that he publicly apologized I was grateful because I think that’s the first step in change,” Stodden stated. “At the same time, I think it would be even better if he put that into action.”
She urged the actor to support AB 1267, a California bill aimed at banning child marriage by raising the legal minimum age to 18. She also suggested he donate to Unchained at Last, the only nonprofit in the U.S. dedicated to eradicating the practice.
Stodden pointed out the glaring legal loopholes in her home state. “It’s really frightening that there’s no minimum age for someone to get married in California,” she noted, adding that only Mississippi and New Mexico share such shocking laws.
A Dark Realization
For years, Stodden did not fully grasp the severity of the Funny or Die sketch. Clarity finally struck while she was watching “Pretty Woman” for the first time.
During the film, Alexander plays a violent villain who assaults Julia Roberts’ character in a hotel suite. “I was in shock,” Stodden recalled. “It felt very close to home, and like he pulled from ‘Pretty Woman’ and thought it would be funny to recreate that with a child. I didn’t know he was going to be feeling me up on set.”
She acknowledged the heavy manipulation she endured as a teenager navigating Hollywood. “Even if I didn’t look like a child, or what a ‘victim’ should look like, there was a child buried under there,” she explained.
The Missing Medical Apology
While Alexander and model Chrissy Teigen have publicly apologized for their past treatment of Stodden, others remain stubbornly silent. She specifically highlighted the actions of Dr. Drew Pinsky.
When Stodden was just 16, Pinsky performed an ultrasound on her breasts during an episode of “Lifechangers” to prove to his audience that they were natural. He has never issued a mea culpa.
“Dr. Drew actually doubled down and had his wife sarcastically invite me on his podcast to further exploit me,” Stodden said. “Getting an apology from an actor and not a doctor is kind of diabolical.”
Looking to the Future
Stodden’s focus remains fiercely fixed on her advocacy work. Next month, she and other survivors from Unchained at Last will visit the California State Capitol to directly lobby legislators.
She is also finalizing a memoir and exploring a docuseries centered on her legislative battles. Her ultimate goal is to protect vulnerable minors from the very trauma she experienced.
“At the end of the day, I don’t want to be remembered for what happened to me,” Stodden said. “I want to be remembered for helping make sure that this doesn’t happen again to another child.”
