Alexander expresses regret
Seinfeld star Jason Alexander has apologized to model Courtney Stodden for a decade-old comedy sketch in which he rubbed a mobile phone on her breasts when she was 17, saying, "It was inappropriate and I truly regret it."
Background of Stodden's marriage
Stodden made international headlines in 2011 when she married ex-husband Doug Hutchison, who was 51, while she was 16. Though a minor, the marriage was legal with parental consent. They divorced in 2020. Stodden, now 31, has since spoken out against child marriage in the US, which remains legal in 33 states with parental consent or judicial waiver.
The sketch and Stodden's response
On Monday, Stodden posted about the 2012 Funny or Die sketch, published when she was 17. In it, she wears a red bikini while Alexander, playing a daytime TV doctor, rubs a phone on her breasts and makes suggestive remarks. Alexander, then 52, was a credited writer. Stodden wrote, "Looking back now, I don't see comedy. I see a 17-year-old girl whose body became part of an adult joke."
Apology and call for action
Alexander apologized Wednesday, telling the Hollywood Reporter, "I am deeply sorry for any harm or distress it has caused Ms Stodden." Stodden responded, "A private apology would be meaningful, but meaningful action would be even more powerful," inviting him to support the fight to end child marriage through AB 1267.
