Jason Alexander Apologizes to Courtney Stodden for Inappropriate Sketch: ‘I Truly Regret It’ - Rolling Stone

What the report says

Rolling Stone reported that Jason Alexander has apologized to Courtney Stodden over a resurfaced 2012 Funny or Die sketch filmed when Stodden was 17. The sketch, “The Donny Clay Show with Courtney Stodden,” parodied daytime talk programs, with Alexander playing the host and interviewing Stodden and then-husband Doug Hutchison. In the segment, Alexander handled a phone against Stodden’s body while making sexualized jokes, according to the report.

The issue drew renewed attention after Stodden posted on Instagram about the sketch on July 20, saying adults involved in the production had treated a minor’s participation as acceptable. Stodden said they lacked legal authority at the time to make those contractual decisions independently, and argued that children should not have to reach adulthood before recognizing gaps in legal protection.

In a statement to TMZ cited by Rolling Stone, Alexander said that, in hindsight, the sketch was inappropriate and that he regretted taking part. He also apologized to Stodden for any harm or distress connected to it.

Rolling Stone noted the broader context of Stodden’s public history: Stodden married Hutchison in 2011, when Stodden was 16 and Hutchison was 50, a relationship that drew widespread scrutiny and ended in divorce in 2020. Stodden has since advocated against child marriage and industry grooming, including support for California’s AB1267, a bill intended to ban child marriage in the state. Rolling Stone reported the measure passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on July 1 in a 12-0 vote.