Jason Alexander, the former “Seinfeld” actor, shared an apology on Tuesday for his participation in a comedy sketch that sexualized the actress Courtney Stodden more than a decade ago, when she was 17.
In the 2012 sketch, published by the defunct comedy website Funny or Die, Alexander played a quack life coach who rubs a phone against Stodden’s breasts, purporting to measure the “quality of her heart.” Later in the sketch, Alexander’s character sits himself between Stodden and her husband at the time, the actor Doug Hutchison, and rests his hands on her knees.
“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 a statement, published earlier by TMZ. “But more importantly, I am deeply sorry for any harm or distress it has caused Ms. Stodden. I offer her my sincerest apologies.”
Stodden initially gained media attention for her marriage in 2011, at 16, to Hutchison, who was then 51. The couple discussed their relationship and age gap in news interviews and on television shows, including “Couples Therapy” and “Celebrity Big Brother.” They divorced in 2020.
A representative for Alexander did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Stodden said in a statement on Wednesday that she appreciated the public apology. But, she added, “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,” such as supporting a current California state bill to end child marriage.
On Monday, Stodden had shared a post on Instagram criticizing Alexander for his involvement in the sketch, noting that he was credited as one of its writers.
“I don’t see comedy,” she wrote. “I see a 17-year-old girl whose body became part of an adult joke.”
In recent years, Stodden has spoken out about her treatment by adults when she was a minor.
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