Courtney Stodden Reacts to Jason Alexander Apology Over Crude 2012 Sketch

Courtney Stodden spoke out publicly after actor Jason Alexander issued an apology for a sexualized 2012 Funny Or Die comedy sketch they filmed together when she was 17 and he was 52.

The Resurfaced 2012 Sketch and Public Backlash

The controversy centers on a digital comedy segment produced by Funny Or Die in 2012. According to Daily Mail coverage, the sketch featured Jason Alexander—then 52 years old—holding a cellphone next to the body of a 17-year-old Courtney Stodden, who was dressed in a red bikini. In the sketch, Alexander’s character repeatedly rubbed his phone across her chest, cracking jokes about signal reception.

Stodden described the reality of the set in an Instagram post, noting that she was a minor surrounded entirely by adults who normalized the interaction. At the time of filming, Stodden was already facing heavy tabloid scrutiny and public shaming due to her marriage to actor Doug Hutchison, whom she wed when she was 16 and he was 50. The couple ultimately divorced in 2020.

“I was 17 years old in this photo. The older I get, the more impossible this is to understand,” Stodden wrote on Instagram, pointing out that Alexander also held an IMDb writing credit on the controversial segment. Stodden’s representative noted that the young star was never informed of the scene’s explicit nature prior to arriving on set, where she was merely instructed to bring a swimsuit, and that financial compensation for her work went directly to her then-husband.

Jason Alexander Issues Public Regret

After Stodden’s post went viral across social media platforms, Alexander—now 66—released a formal statement to the Daily Mail expressing remorse for his role in co-writing and starring in the project.

“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 in his statement. “But more importantly, I am deeply sorry for any harm or distress it has caused Ms. Stodden. I offer her my sincerest apologies.”

Stodden told Variety that she was “taken aback” by Alexander’s decision to take public accountability, calling an apology an essential first step toward meaningful change. However, she urged the actor to translate his words into tangible legislative support by backing Assembly Bill 1267 in California or making contributions to advocacy groups like Unchained at Last.

The Broader Reckoning Over Industry Standards for Minors

Stodden noted that she only grasped the full extent of the manipulation when she watched the 1990 film Pretty Woman for the first time, recognizing Alexander’s villainous onscreen persona Philip Stuckey in a way that left her deeply shocked.

Stodden emphasized that her public critique is not merely about rehashing personal history, but about fundamentally altering industry standards so that future minors are spared similar experiences. “Children deserve laws that protect them,” Stodden stated. “They shouldn’t have to become adults before realizing the law should have protected them all along.”