Actor Jason Alexander has issued a public apology for a 2012 comedy sketch in which he acted inappropriately toward a 17-year-old Courtney Stodden.

Jason Alexander issued a public apology on Wednesday regarding a 2012 comedy sketch he co-wrote and filmed with Courtney Stodden. In the video, titled "The Donny Clay Show," the then-52-year-old actor fondled the breasts of 17-year-old Stodden and made inappropriate comments. Alexander stated he agrees the sketch was inappropriate and expressed regret for the harm and distress caused to Stodden.

Stodden's Response and Advocacy

Courtney Stodden, now 31, expressed surprise at receiving an apology, noting that adults rarely take accountability for their past actions. She urged Alexander to take further steps by supporting California bill AB 1267, which seeks to ban child marriage by setting the legal minimum age to 18. Stodden is currently working with the nonprofit Unchained at Last to advocate for this legislation.

Context of the 2012 Sketch

The sketch was released on the Funny or Die website and YouTube channel in January 2012 and has since been removed. Stodden appeared in the video alongside Doug Hutchison, whom she married in 2011 at age 16. Stodden stated she did not know the nature of the sketch beforehand and felt manipulated by the adults on set, later realizing the extent of the harm after comparing the experience to a scene in the film "Pretty Woman."

Continued Advocacy and Other Incidents

Stodden noted that while she has received apologies from Alexander and Chrissy Teigen, she has not received one from Dr. Drew Pinsky, who performed an ultrasound on her breasts on his show "Lifechangers" when she was 16. Stodden plans to visit the California State Capitol next month with other survivors to lobby for the end of child marriage and is working on a memoir and a potential docuseries.