Jason Alexander, who is best known for playing George in Seinfeld, has issued an apology to Courtney Stodden who was jut 17 when she appeared in an'inappropriate'sketch instead. Courtney, 31, is an American media personality who was best known in the 2010s for marrying 51 year old actor Doug Hutchison when she was just 16. This then led her to appear on several TV displays and become a star in the UK after appearing on Celebrity Major Brother in 2013, and Celebs Go Dating in 2017.
In recent years she has used her social media to speak out about her years in the spotlight, calling out the way she was sexualised by the media, and the people who took part in comedy bits that mocked her. Courtney appeared on Celebrity Major Brother (Image: Getty Images) in an official statement to TMZ, Jason commented:"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."
The statement came after Courtney shared images of the sketch on her social media, calling out the people involved in the sketch, which saw Courtney dressed in a red bikini while Alexander, a daytime TV doctor rubs a phone on her chest stating she has signal in her chest but"Nothing"In her head. After several suggestive comments he then suggests Courtney returns to the show when she is 18. At the time of the sketch, Jason was 52 and was credited as one of the writers."
I was 17 years old in this photo. The older I get, the more impossible this is to understand. During this comedy sketch, Jason Alexander repeatedly rubbed his phone across my breasts while saying there was “No signal” in my head but “Plenty of signal” in my chest,"She stated in an official statement on Instagram."
Later in the sketch, he joked that when I turned 18 he’d like to take me behind the couch and “Have his way” with me. IMDb credits him as one of the writers of the episode. As an adult, that fact has become harder—not easier—for me to understand.
"I was a minor. I didn’t have the legal power to decide whether I sought to participate. The contracts were signed by adults.
The paycheck went to Doug. The production moved forward. I was the only child in the room.
I felt so alone." Looking back now, I don’t see comedy. I see a 17-year-old girl whose body became part of an adult joke.
People still say, “You chose to be there.” Legally, I couldn’t make those decisions for myself. That’s the point.
"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." Jason was best known for his role in Seinfeld(Image: Getty Images) Acknowledging Jason's apology, Courtney told The Hollywood Reporter: “I appreciate Jason Alexander’s public apology. People keep asking if he’s apologized privately, and he hasn’t.
A private apology would be meaningful, but meaningful action would be even more powerful. “If he truly regrets what happened, I’d invite him to support [non-profit] Unchained At Last and the fight to end child marriage through AB 1267. That’s how we turn accountability into lasting change.”
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