Jason Alexander Apologizes to Courtney Stodden Over Controversial Sketch

The controversy centers on a sketch for the comedy site Funny or Die titled The Donny Clay Show, which parodied daytime talk shows such as Dr. Phil. In the video, Alexander, who was 52 at the time, played a talk-show host who rubbed a mobile phone against Stodden’s breasts. According to the sources, he purports to measure the quality of her heart, stating there was “no signal” in her head but plenty of signal in her chest. Later in the sketch, Alexander’s character sits himself between Stodden and her husband at the time and says that when she turned 18, he would take her behind the couch and have his way with her.

Stodden’s Account of the 2012 Production

Stodden, now 31, used Instagram to revisit the skit, posting an image of herself in a bikini when she was 17 years old as Alexander touched her breast with a cellphone. Stodden, a media personality and reality TV star, highlighted the power imbalance present during the filming.

“I was a minor. I didn’t have the legal power to decide whether I wanted to participate,” she wrote of the sketch.

Courtney Stodden, via Instagram

The reality star further detailed the exploitation she felt, stating that the contracts were signed by adults and the paycheck went to her then-husband, Doug Hutchison. Stodden told Variety she felt manipulated and that Alexander seemed to have pulled from ‘Pretty Woman’ to recreate a scene, adding that she did not know he was going to be feeling her up on set.

Jason Alexander’s Response and $15,000 Donation

After Stodden publicly called out the actor, Alexander issued a public apology. In a statement to Variety, the actor admitted the sketch was inappropriate and expressed that he was deeply sorry for any harm or distress caused.

“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.”

Jason Alexander, via Variety

According to TMZ, Alexander, 66, accepted Stodden’s demands to donate to a non-profit of her choice. Alexander’s rep told TMZ that he had submitted the payment, though the rep declined to share the amount. TMZ reported Thursday that the comedian donated $15,000 to Unchained At Last, an organization to end child marriage and forced marriage.

Advocacy for California’s AB 1267

The resurfacing of the sketch serves as a catalyst for Stodden’s current legislative goals. She is actively campaigning for California to pass AB 1267, a bill that would ban child marriage by setting the legal minimum age to wed at 18 years old.

Stodden’s personal history informs this advocacy. She first drew international attention in 2011 after marrying 51-year-old actor Doug Hutchison at age 16. The couple divorced in 2020.

The fight for AB 1267 is part of a broader national shift. While child marriage was legal in every U.S. state until 2018, it remains legal in 33 states with a judicial waiver or parental consent.

A Pattern of Media Exploitation

Stodden has linked the Funny or Die sketch to a wider history of media exploitation. Pinsky, on his show Lifechangers, performed an ultrasound on Stodden’s breasts when she was 16 to prove they were real, according to Variety.

Stodden’s goal, she told Variety, is to be remembered not for what happened to her, but for ensuring other children are protected from similar experiences.