Courtney Stodden revisits controversial sketch with Jason Alexander, says she was ‘the only child in the room’

Courtney Stodden is looking back at a moment from 2012 with a very different perspective. This week, the reality TV personality revealed they were just 17 years old when they appeared in a comedy sketch alongside Seinfeld star Jason Alexander, and said the experience now feels deeply inappropriate. According to Page Six, Stodden shared the resurfaced clip on Instagram on Tuesday, July 21, while publicly revealing their age at the time of filming for the first time.

The sketch, titled The Donny Clay Show, was produced for Funny or Die and centered entirely on Stodden’s marriage to actor Doug Hutchison, whom they married at 16 while he was 51. Looking back, Stodden claimed they had no legal authority to participate in the production because they were still a minor. Every decision, from signing the contract to receiving payment, was handled by the adults around them.

That lack of control has remained one of the most difficult parts of the experience for Stodden. It also shaped Jason Alexander’s response after the clip resurfaced, with the actor telling that he agreed the sketch was inappropriate, regretted taking part in it, and wanted to publicly apologize.

It’s hard not to wonder why no one stepped in back then

Now 31, Stodden said one of the most upsetting parts of revisiting the sketch is remembering comments Alexander allegedly made about their body during filming, which they felt objectified them while they were still underage. They also said they were surprised to later discover Alexander is credited on IMDb as one of the sketch’s co-writers, a detail that has become more troubling with time rather than less.

That distinction matters to Stodden because they continue to face criticism from people who argue they willingly participated in the sketch. “People still say, ‘You chose to be there.’ Legally, I couldn’t make those decisions for myself. That’s the point,” they said.

As the clip spread online again, many social media users questioned whether the entertainment industry failed to protect Stodden while they were still a minor. Responding to the backlash, Alexander said, “I completely agree that it was inappropriate and I truly regret it,” adding that he was “deeply sorry for any harm or distress it has caused.” The renewed backlash has also highlighted how quickly online outrage can escalate around resurfaced celebrity controversies, a concern that has reportedly led to measures to protect actors from angry fans.

Rather than revisiting the controversy for its own sake, Stodden said they hope the renewed attention encourages broader conversations about child marriage. They have become a vocal supporter of California Assembly Bill 1267, a bipartisan measure that would ban child marriage in the state by establishing 18 as the minimum legal age to marry.

Stodden is also working with the advocacy group Unchained At Last to support the legislation, which has already passed the California Assembly and continues to move through the legislative process.