Jason Alexander, best known for playing George in Seinfeld, has apologised to Courtney Stodden for an 'inappropriate' comedy sketch from 2012 when she was 17.
Courtney, now 31, is an American media personality who rose to fame in the 2010s after marrying actor Doug Hutchison at age 16. She later appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2013 and Celebs Go Dating in 2017.
In recent years, she has spoken out about being sexualised by the media and those who took part in comedy bits that mocked her.
Alexander's apology
In a statement to TMZ, Alexander said: "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."
"But more importantly, I am deeply sorry for any harm or distress it has caused Ms. Stodden. I offer her my sincerest apologies."
The apology came after Stodden shared images of the sketch on social media, calling out those involved. The sketch showed Stodden in a red bikini while Alexander and a daytime TV doctor rubbed a phone on her chest, saying she had signal in her chest but "nothing" in her head. After suggestive comments, he suggested she return when she was 18. At the time, Alexander was 52 and credited as a writer.
Stodden's response
Stodden said on Instagram: "I was 17 years old in this photo. The older I get, the more impossible this is to understand. 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."
"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. IMDb credits him as one of the writers of the episode. As an adult, that fact has become harder—not easier—for me to understand."
She added: "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. The production moved forward. I was the only child in the room. I felt so alone."
"Looking back now, I don't see comedy. I see a 17-year-old girl whose body became part of an adult joke. People still say, 'You chose to be there.' Legally, I couldn't make those decisions for myself. That's the point."
"I can't change what happened to me but I can ask myself: How did so many adults look at a minor and decide this was acceptable? That's exactly why I speak out today. Children deserve laws that protect them. They shouldn't have to become adults before realizing the law should have protected them all along."
Stodden on Alexander's apology
Acknowledging Alexander's apology, Stodden told The Hollywood Reporter: "I appreciate Jason Alexander's public apology. People keep asking if he's apologized privately, and he hasn't. A private apology would be meaningful, but meaningful action would be even more powerful."
"If he truly regrets what happened, I'd invite him to support [non-profit] Unchained At Last and the fight to end child marriage through AB 1267. That's how we turn accountability into lasting change."
