Courtney Stodden has publicly called out actor Jason Alexander for what she describes as deeply inappropriate behavior during a 2012 “Funny or Die” comedy sketch filmed when she was underage, as reported by Page Six.
Sharing an image from the set, Stodden wrote, “I was 17 years old in this photo,” alongside a shot showing Alexander holding an iPhone against her chest. In the image, Alexander, then 52, appears in a blazer and polo as Stodden poses in a bikini.
“The older I get, the more impossible this is to understand,” she said, recounting that Alexander “repeatedly rubbed his phone across my breast while saying there was ‘no signal’ in my head but ‘plenty of signal’ in my chest.”
Courtney Stodden SLAMS Seinfeld's Jason Alexander for 'repeatedly rubbing his phone across her chest' in 2012 sketch Points out Alexander is credited as a writer 'I was 17. I didn’t have legal power to decide whether I wanted to participate. I was the only child in the room'…
— MOSCOW NEWS 🇷🇺 (@MOSCOW_EN) July 21, 2026
She also claimed that later in the same sketch, Alexander “joked that when I turn 18 he’d like to take me behind the couch and ‘have his way’ with me.”
MORE NEWS: ‘Devastated’ Millie Bobby Brown Mourns Co-Star Kaylee Hottle’s Tragic Death at 18 [WATCH]
According to IMDb, the Emmy- and Tony-winning actor not only starred in the piece, titled “The Don Clay Show with Courtney Stodden,” but is also credited as one of its writers.
The sketch featured Stodden alongside her then-husband Doug Hutchison.
“As an adult, that fact has become harder — not easier — for me to understand,” Stodden continued.
“I was a minor. I didn’t have the legal power to decide whether I wanted to participate. The contracts were signed by adults. The paycheck went to Doug.”
FREE Gun Law Map: Laws Don't Pause During Social Unrest
She added that despite her discomfort, “The production moved forward. I was the only child in the room. I felt so alone.”
Now 31, Stodden says she no longer views the sketch as comedy, describing it instead as a painful example of being sexualized as a teenager.
“I see a 17-year-old girl whose body became part of an adult joke,” she said. “People still say, ‘You chose to be there.’ Legally, I couldn’t make those decisions for myself. That’s the point.”
She concluded her post with a message about accountability.
MORE NEWS: Zendaya’s Playful Comeback to Fan’s Marriage Proposal Turns Heads at ‘Spider-Man’ Event [WATCH]
“I can’t change what happened to me, but I can ask myself: How did so many adults look at a minor and decide this was acceptable? That’s exactly why I speak out today. Children deserve laws that protect them. They shouldn’t have to become adults before realizing the law should have protected them all along.”
In a statement to Page Six, Stodden elaborated that her purpose in speaking out is about prevention.
“At 17, I was a minor working in an environment where the adults around me were responsible for my safety and well-being,” she said.
“Looking back as an adult, I see those experiences very differently than I did at the time.”
“My reason for speaking out now isn’t about revisiting the past for its own sake… it’s about helping create a future where children are better protected and where adults in positions of power are held to a higher standard,” she added.
Alexander, now 66, responded with his own statement expressing remorse. “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 said.
“But more importantly, I am deeply sorry for any harm or distress it has caused Ms. Stodden. I offer her my sincerest apologies.”
Stodden’s comments also tie into her ongoing advocacy for AB 1267, a bipartisan bill aiming to set California’s minimum marriage age at 18 with no exceptions.
MORE NEWS: William Shatner and Daughter Reveal They Fought Stage 4 Cancer Together and Survived [WATCH]
She has said that her experiences as a teenager in Hollywood, including situations like the “Funny or Die” sketch, motivate her to push for stronger legal protections for minors.
She has previously described her marriage to Doug Hutchison at age 16, when he was 51, as predatory, while noting that her mother gave permission for the union. Stodden has said her mother has since apologized.
Reflecting on the 2012 sketch and her earlier marriage, Stodden said that these experiences shape her advocacy today.
“We need broader conversations about how minors are treated and protected in the entertainment industry and beyond,” she told Page Six.
Join the Discussion
COMMENTS POLICY: We have no tolerance for messages of violence, racism, vulgarity, obscenity or other such discourteous behavior. Thank you for contributing to a respectful and useful online dialogue.