Jason Alexander apologizes to Courtney Stodden for ‘inappropriate’ skit they did when she was 17 - NBC News

What the report says

NBC News reported that actor Jason Alexander has apologized to media personality Courtney Stodden after Stodden publicly criticized a 2012 Funny or Die sketch they appeared in together when Stodden was 17. The apology followed Stodden’s Instagram post revisiting the segment, which they described as lewd and isolating, saying they were the only minor present during the production.

According to NBC, the sketch spoofed daytime talk shows and featured Alexander as a therapist-like character, Donny Clay, with Stodden and then-husband Doug Hutchison portrayed as seeking relationship counseling. NBC described moments in the video in which Alexander’s character placed a cellphone on Stodden’s chest as part of a joke and made sexualized remarks while role-playing as Hutchison. Stodden also noted that IMDb lists Alexander as one of the episode’s writers and argued that, as a minor, they did not have legal authority over the decision to take part.

Alexander told NBC News that, in hindsight, he agreed the sketch was inappropriate and regretted participating in it. He also apologized to Stodden for any distress or harm connected to the segment. The apology came after Stodden’s Monday post, with NBC’s article published July 22 and updated July 23, 2026.

NBC provided context that Stodden first became widely known in 2011 after marrying Hutchison, then 51, at age 16; the two divorced in 2020. In recent years, Stodden has spoken publicly against child marriage and media exploitation, framing the renewed attention to the sketch as part of a broader push for stronger protections for minors.