Jason Alexander Apologized To Courtney Stodden For Rubbing Her Breasts With A Phone In A 2012 Sketch

Posted 4 hours ago

Jason Alexander is taking accountability for his participation in an inappropriate 2012 Funny or Die sketch with Courtney Stodden.

Some necessary context: In 2011, model Courtney Stodden married actor Doug Hutchison. At the time of their marriage, Courtney was just 16 years old, while Doug was 51. Courtney has since said that, during her marriage to Doug, she was thrust into the spotlight and subjected to intense public scrutiny. She has also alleged that the relationship itself included instances of "grooming" and "abuse."

In a recent Instagram post, Courtney posted a screenshot from the aforementioned sketch that featured her in a bikini alongside Jason. In the screenshot, Jason is seen rubbing a smartphone against one of Courtney's breasts. (The sketch has seemingly been deleted from the internet, but Courtney shared footage last year on TikTok, which you can watch here.)

"I was 17 years old in this photo," Courtney wrote. "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. 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," Courtney continued. "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."

Yesterday, BuzzFeed reached out to Jason's reps for comment, and this morning they sent over the following apology from Jason himself.

"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."

You can read Courtney's original post in full here.

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