NEED TO KNOW
Jason Bateman said he and his sister, Justine, “don’t see each other a ton” but still “hang out” on occasion
The Zootopia 2 star shared an update on his relationship with the filmmaker in a new interview with Esquire
“There isn’t the typical ‘We see each other every Thanksgiving or every Christmas and our kids want to be together,’ ” he said
Jason Bateman is sharing a rare update on his relationship with his sister, filmmaker Justine Bateman.
The Zootopia 2 star, 56, revealed in a cover story for Esquire’s Winter “Meaning of Life” issue that he and his sister, 59, “don’t see each other a ton” but still “hang out” on occasion. “There isn’t the typical ‘We see each other every Thanksgiving or every Christmas and our kids want to be together.’ There isn’t that. In a great way,” Jason said.
“Our conversations are the rich conversations you would have with an adult friend, not the kind of petulant back-and-forth you might have with your adult sibling,” he continued.
Jason added that there’s no ill will between him and Justine, explaining that they’re “nice to each other because we respect one another as individuals regardless of the blood thing.”
“I’m seeing her for lunch next week,” he then shared.
Mark Seliger
Jason Bateman for ‘Esquire’
Justine got her start on Family Ties when she was 16, while her younger brother broke out as James Cooper Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie when he was only 11. The pair have since forged their own paths in Hollywood, with Jason fresh off his latest projects, Netflix’s Black Rabbit and Disney’s Zootopia 2.
Jason’s comments come just months after Justine confirmed on X in September that there was no conflict between the siblings over their “political ideologies.” Justine has previously expressed that she was “excited” for Donald Trump’s election in 2024 and has long been open about her political beliefs on social media.
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“Anyone bringing up my brother to me for any other reason than to say you like his new upcoming show, or any of his past work, will be muted at best, and blocked at worst,” she wrote in September. “I’m not interested in your fantasy about some imagined conflict between the two of us over your political ideologies.”
She added, “Really, it’s sick. So, keep it up. It makes it easy for me if identify yourselves, so I can make an X setting adjustment to never have to hear from you, ever again.”
In 2015, Jason shared on WTF with Marc Maron that he and his sister had a “healthy relationship,” where they don’t have to be together “every day” or “every holiday” just because they’re siblings. He added that she lived a mile from his home at the time. “Let’s earn the relationship that adults should and could have,” he said. “You’re not handcuffed because of the blood.”
NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
From Left: Jason Bateman and Justine Bateman in 1984
Elsewhere in his conversation with Esquire, Jason opened up about his family life. He’s dad to daughters Francesca Nora Bateman, 19, and Maple Sylvie Bateman, 13, who he shares with wife Amanda Anka.
He said that his eldest daughter is “eating up everything about the college experience,” while noting that it’ll be “tough” when his youngest moves out. “The future’s so bright,” he said of Francesca, later adding that he loves her “blind confidence.”
Jason added, “You think it’s all just going to be unicorns and rainbows forever, and then she’ll be a little bit humbled by the practicalities of life and hopefully she’ll come and seek our counsel for that.”
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