Courtney Stodden reacts to Jason Alexander's public apology
The reality star welcomed Alexander's apology but urged him to support legislation aimed at ending child marriage
Courtney Stodden says she was surprised to receive a public apology from Jason Alexander after speaking out about her experience filming a comedy sketch when she was a teenager.
The reality television personality recently reflected on a 2012 Funny or Die sketch inspired by Pretty Woman, which was filmed when she was 17 alongside her then-husband, Doug Hutchison.
Stodden later said she felt "manipulated" during the production and trusted the adults involved.
"I really just trusted the adults around me, and this is the effect of that," Stodden wrote on Instagram, adding that looking back on the experience has been "really damaging."
She stressed that speaking publicly was not about revisiting the past but about helping protect minors from similar experiences in the future.
Following her comments, Seinfeld star Jason Alexander, who co-wrote and appeared in the sketch, issued a public apology.
"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," Alexander said.
He added that he was "deeply sorry" for any harm or distress caused and offered his "sincerest apologies."
Speaking to Rolling Stone, Stodden said she was "very taken aback" by Alexander's response.
"I'm very taken aback that an adult was actually able to take accountability because I haven't heard a lot of adults take accountability," she said, adding that she was grateful because public accountability is "the first step in change."
However, Stodden also encouraged Alexander to support California Assembly Bill AB1267, legislation that would prohibit anyone under the age of 18 from obtaining a marriage license or entering a domestic partnership in the state.
The issue is deeply personal for Stodden, who married actor Doug Hutchison in 2011 when she was 16 and he was 51.
The pair separated in 2017, and their divorce was finalised in 2020.
Stodden also suggested Alexander could support organisations such as Unchained at Last, a nonprofit dedicated to ending child and forced marriage in the United States.
