Jason Bateman explains why he rarely sees older sister Justine Bateman
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Jason Bateman shared a rare glimpse into his relationship with sister Justine Bateman.
The 56-year-old actor appeared on the cover of the magazine Esquire’s Winter “Meaning of Life” issue and reflected on his bond with the 59-year-old actor in the accompanying interview.
“My sister and I don’t see each other very much,” he admitted.
Jason Bateman talked about his relationship with his older sister Justine Bateman. (Maya Dehlin Spach/WireImage; Lucianna Faraone Coccia/Getty Images)
However, Jason clarified that this was not due to any conflict and explained that the two have a mature relationship based on mutual respect.
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“It’s not like the typical ‘We see each other every Thanksgiving or every Christmas and our kids want to be together.’ That doesn’t exist. In a wonderful way,” he said.
Jason and his wife, Amanda Anka, are parents to daughters Francesca, 19, and Maple, 13, while Justine shares son Duke, 23, and daughter Gianetta, 21, with husband Mark Fluent.
The “Arrested Development” alum described her conversations with Justine as “rich conversations you’d have with an adult friend, not the kind of testy back-and-forth conversations you might have with your adult sibling.”
“We hang out and we treat each other well because we respect each other as individuals, regardless of blood relationship,” Jason added.
Jason also stated that he had close plans with Justine, saying, “I’ll see her for lunch next week.”
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Jason said he and Justine “don’t see much of each other.” (Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
The brothers both found fame as child actors in Hollywood in the 1980s. Jason started acting at the age of 10, appearing in commercials and later appearing in hit series such as “Little House on the Prairie,” “Silver Spoons” and “The Hogan Family.”
Justine was 16 when she was cast in her breakthrough role as Mallory Keaton in the 1982 TV sitcom “Family Ties.” The series immediately became a huge hit, turning Justine into a teen idol.
Jason has previously spoken about how the pair faced pressure after becoming the breadwinners of their family. In an interview with Esquire, she noted that their careers had an impact on her dynamics with her parents, Kent and Victoria Bateman.
“My sister and I had a peer relationship with our parents; they were our managers,” he said.
The brothers’ career paths eventually diverged once they entered adulthood. While Jason continued to develop his career as an actor, director and producer, Justine moved away from acting and established herself as a filmmaker and writer.
The two rose to fame as child stars. (Ron Galella Collection via Ron Galella, Ltd./Getty Images)
In September, Justine slammed speculation that she and Jason had a falling out over political differences. Following President Donald Trump’s re-election in November 2024, Justine told Fox News Digital that she felt “great” about Trump’s victory and that a “suffocating cloud” had lifted.
While Justine said she did not support any political party, she said she found the team around Trump “very interesting” and was convinced by their “strong positions” on freedom of expression.
Meanwhile, Jason attended a virtual rally for Trump’s opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, called “Comics for Kamala,” which included Jon Hamm, Tom Arnold, and Kathy Griffin. Appearing on the podcast “The Best People with Nicolle Wallace” in June, Jason criticized Trump supporters who he said “choose to distance themselves from facts and common sense.”
However, Justine clarified the issues regarding the rumors surrounding her brother in a post she shared on X, which was previously Twitter.
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“Anyone who brings my brother to me for any reason other than to say they liked my brother, his upcoming new show, or any of his past work will be muted at best and blocked at worst,” he wrote. “I’m not interested in your fantasy of an imaginary conflict between the two of us because of your political ideologies.”
“It’s really disgusting,” Justine added. “Then keep it up. It makes it easier for me if you introduce yourself, so I can make changes to X settings so I never have to hear from you again.”
Jason explained that they have a mature bond based on mutual respect. (Mike Guastella/WireImage)
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Appearing on the “WTF with Marc Maron” podcast in 2015, Jason reflected on his bond with Justine.
The “Black Rabbit” star said he and Justine “have a really healthy relationship” and that they don’t have to spend “every day, every week, every month, every holiday” together just because they’re siblings.
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“It’s like, let’s gain the relationship that adults should or could have,” he said. “You’re not handcuffed because of the blood.”
Jason noted with a laugh that Justine “lived about a mile from my house” at the time and admitted, “Yeah, I could have been a better uncle, brother, son.”
