Alexander was 52 and Stodden was 17 when she costarred with the 'Seinfeld' alum in a Funny or Die sketch that poked fun at her breasts.Sometimes, a joke can go too far, even for a comedic force like Jason Alexander.The Emmy-nominated actor and "Seinfeld" alum has issued an apology to Courtney Stodden, who he costarred with in a suggestive comedy sketch when Stodden was a teenager, after the reality-TV personality criticized the performance in a new social media post.The sketch, a 2012 Funny or Die clip titled "The Donny Clay Show with Courtney Stodden," featured Alexander playing a daytime talk-show host who interviews Stodden, then 17, and her real-life husband Doug Hutchison. Stodden and Hutchison made headlines in real life with their age-gap marriage, as Stodden was 16 when she tied the knot with Hutchison, who was 51."Looking back now, I don't see comedy. I see a 17-year-old girl whose body became part of an adult joke," Stodden, now 31, wrote in an Instagram post Monday, July 20. "People still say, 'You chose to be there.' Legally, I couldn't make those decisions for myself."At one point in the sketch, Stodden strips down to a red bikini and Alexander, then 52, proceeds to perform a scan of Stodden's "heart quality," which involves him lightly rubbing his smartphone against Stodden's breasts. Several camera shutter sounds go off during the scan, suggesting Alexander's character was secretly taking photos of Stodden's chest.In another segment of the fictional talk show, Alexander roleplays with Stodden as Hutchison in a couple's communication exercise. Alexander tells Stodden he loves her because he knows he can "take you behind this couch and have at you in a number of ways.""IMDb credits [Alexander] as one of the writers of the episode. As an adult, that fact has become harder — not easier — for me to understand," Stodden wrote on Instagram. "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. The production moved forward. I was the only child in the room. I felt so alone."Alexander addressed Stodden's criticism in a statement to USA TODAY Thursday, July 23."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. "But more importantly, I am deeply sorry for any harm or distress it has caused Ms. Stodden. I offer her my sincerest apologies."Stodden and Hutchison divorced in 2020 after a yearslong on-and-off romance. The "Couples Therapy" star is currently lobbying for the California legislative bill AB-1267, which would prohibit minors from being able to obtain a marriage license or establish a domestic partnership.In a statement to USA TODAY Thursday, Stodden said she "appreciated" Alexander's apology "because accountability matters.""But the most meaningful apologies lead to action," Stodden said. "If this conversation encourages support for AB-1267 and the work Unchained At Last is doing to end child marriage, then something positive can come from something that should never have happened. This has never been about one person for me — it's about making sure children are better protected going forward."