Seinfeld star Jason Alexander has issued an apology to actress Courtney Stodden after she accused him of acting inappropriately towards her in a 2012 comedy sketch. The sketch, titled 'The Don Clay Show with Courtney Stodden', featured Alexander rubbing his phone on Stodden's breasts and joking that once she turned 18, he would 'have his way' with her. At the time of the sketch, Stodden was just 17 years old.
Stodden, now 31, shared a picture from the skit on Instagram and wrote: 'I was 17 years old in this photo. The older I get, the more impossible this is to understand.' She added that she didn't see the sketch as comedy, but rather 'a 17-year-old girl whose body became part of an adult joke'. Stodden also noted that she was married to Green Mile actor Doug Hutchison at the time, who was 51, and that she didn't have the legal power to decide whether she wanted to participate in the sketch.
Alexander, 66, responded to Stodden's accusations by saying that he 'completely agrees that it was inappropriate and I truly regret it.' He added that he was 'deeply sorry for any harm or distress it has caused Ms. Stodden.' The comedy sketch was written by Alexander and featured him and Stodden as co-stars.
Stodden said that she felt 'so alone' during the production of the sketch, and that she was the only child in the room. She added that the fact that she was a minor at the time of the sketch has become harder to understand as an adult.
The incident has sparked a wider conversation about consent and the treatment of minors in the entertainment industry. As a result, Alexander's apology has been met with mixed reactions, with some praising his willingness to acknowledge his mistakes and others calling for him to take further action.