Jason Alexander has donated $15,000 to the nonprofit organization Unchained At Last, an organization dedicated to ending forced and child marriage in the United States. The donation follows an apology from the "Seinfeld" star for a sexualized sketch he appeared in with Courtney Stodden in 2012, when Stodden was 17 and Alexander was 52.
Alexander, 66, expressed regret this week over the Funny Or Die segment, in which he is shown rubbing a cellphone against the then-underage Stodden's bust while making remarks about "signal in her chest." Stodden, who was 17 at the time, had recently called attention to the sketch, sharing a screenshot on Instagram and stating that she felt manipulated and that the experience was damaging. She was a minor at the time and not legally able to consent to participation, with contracts signed by adults.
In a statement, Alexander said he completely agreed that the sketch was inappropriate and he truly regretted it. "But more importantly, I am deeply sorry for any harm or distress it has caused Ms. Stodden. I offer her my sincerest apologies," he added.
Following Alexander's apology, Stodden suggested that the actor "put that into action" by supporting AB 1267 and donating to Unchained At Last. She told Variety that she was grateful for his apology and that accountability is the first step toward change. Stodden stated that she realized the inappropriateness of the sketch only later in life, particularly after watching Alexander's character in "Pretty Woman."
Stodden, now 31, has been vocal about her experiences as a minor, including her age-gap marriage to actor Doug Hutchison, whom she wed at 16. She has advocated for stronger legal protections for minors, stating, "Children deserve laws that protect them. They shouldn't have to become adults before realizing the law should have protected them all along."
Representatives for Stodden, Alexander, and Unchained At Last were contacted for further comment. Stodden's representative noted that she was not fully aware of the sketch's content before arriving on set and was only told to bring a swimsuit. The representative also drew a distinction between Alexander's apology and the actions of Dr. Drew Pinsky, who Stodden has accused of inserting himself into her story and subjecting her to an ultrasound on his show when she was 16. The payment for her appearance on Dr. Drew's show reportedly went to her then-husband.