“Seinfeld” star Jason Alexander has publicly apologized to Courtney Stodden over a 2012 comedy sketch the two filmed together, after Stodden — who was 17 at the time of filming — recently spoke out about discomfort with how the segment was shot. Alexander issued his apology this week, and Stodden has since publicly acknowledged receiving it.
What Jason Alexander Said
In his statement, Alexander said: “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.” He did not offer additional detail beyond that acknowledgment, and has not given further interviews elaborating on the statement as of this writing.
What the 2012 Sketch Involved
The segment, titled “The Donny Clay Show with Courtney Stodden,” was produced by Funny or Die and was styled as a parody of daytime talk shows. According to reporting on the sketch, it included a bit in which Alexander ran a phone camera near Stodden’s chest, framed around a joke about cell signal. Stodden was 17 years old at the time the sketch was filmed.
Stodden has recently called attention to the sketch and described the interaction as something that made her uncomfortable at the time, which prompted the renewed public attention and, subsequently, Alexander’s apology.
How Courtney Stodden Responded
Stodden has publicly acknowledged Alexander’s apology following his statement. She rose to tabloid attention in 2011 after marrying actor Doug Hutchison at 16 with parental consent, a relationship that drew significant media scrutiny at the time over the age gap between them. In the years since, Stodden has spoken more broadly about how she was treated by media and entertainment figures during that period of her life.
Why This Is Resurfacing Now
Stodden has increasingly used her platform in recent years to revisit specific moments from that early chapter of her public life, naming the people and productions involved rather than describing the era only in general terms. The Alexander sketch is the latest example of that pattern, and the swift public apology — issued within days of renewed attention rather than contested — is part of why the story has drawn coverage across entertainment outlets this week.
Alexander is best known for playing George Costanza on “Seinfeld,” one of the most acclaimed sitcoms in television history, a role that ran for the show’s full nine-season run in the 1990s. He has continued to work in television, film, and theater since the show ended, though this week’s story is centered on the decade-old sketch rather than any of that later work.
The Broader Context Around Funny or Die Sketches From That Era
Funny or Die built much of its 2010s output around exactly this kind of exaggerated, talk-show-parody format, often pairing established actors with rising tabloid figures of the moment for shock-value comedic effect. Stodden, given the intense media attention she was already receiving around her marriage at the time, was a frequent subject of that kind of content across multiple outlets, not just this one sketch — which is part of the broader context she’s pointed to in recent public comments about how she was treated during that period.
Looking back at comedy from that era with a more current understanding of how a 17-year-old in the public eye should have been treated has become a recurring theme in entertainment media over the past several years, with a number of public figures revisiting and apologizing for jokes, segments, or interviews involving Stodden specifically, given how frequently she was a target of that kind of content at the time.
What Happens Next
Neither Alexander nor Stodden has indicated any further public statements are planned beyond the apology and its acknowledgment. Coverage of the story has so far centered on the apology itself rather than any indication of further escalation, legal or otherwise.
Jason Alexander’s Career Since Seinfeld
Since “Seinfeld” ended in 1998, Alexander has worked steadily across television, film, and stage, including Broadway and touring theater productions, guest roles on numerous sitcoms, and voice acting work. He’s remained a familiar presence in entertainment media in the decades since, largely tied to his enduring association with George Costanza, one of the most well-known sitcom characters of the era. This week’s story marks one of the more direct instances of him publicly addressing older, decade-plus-old work in response to a specific renewed complaint rather than in a retrospective interview setting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Jason Alexander apologize for?
He apologized for a 2012 Funny or Die comedy sketch filmed with Courtney Stodden, who was 17 at the time, saying in a statement that “it was inappropriate” and that he “truly regret[s] it.”
How old was Courtney Stodden when the sketch was filmed?
She was 17 years old at the time.
Has Courtney Stodden responded to the apology?
Yes — she has publicly acknowledged receiving Alexander’s apology following his statement.
For more recent Hollywood accountability and reflection stories, see our coverage of Abby Elliott’s divorce filing.
