Jason Bateman explains why he and sister Justine Bateman don’t follow typical sibling traditions but maintain a healthy adult friendship.<\/b>
\nJason Bateman shared a rare glimpse into his relationship with his sister Justine Bateman.
The 56-year-old appeared on the cover of Esquire\u2019s Winter \u00ab\u00a0Meaning of Life\u00a0\u00bb issue and reflected on his bond with the 59-year-old actress in the accompanying interview.
\u00ab\u00a0My sister and I don\u2019t see each other a ton\u00a0\u00bb, he admitted.
However, Jason clarified that this wasn’t due to any conflict and explained that the two have a mature relationship built on mutual respect.
\u00ab\u00a0There isn\u2019t the typical \u2018We see each other every Thanksgiving or every Christmas and our kids want to be together.\u2019 There isn\u2019t that. In a great way\u00a0\u00bb, 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 her husband Mark Fluent.
The \u00ab\u00a0Arrested Development\u00a0\u00bb alum described his conversations with Justine as the \u00ab\u00a0rich conversations you would have with an adult friend, not the kind of petulant back-and-forth you might have with your adult sibling.\u00a0\u00bb
\u00ab\u00a0We hang out, and we\u2019re nice to each other because we respect one another as individuals regardless of the blood thing\u00a0\u00bb, Jason added.
Jason also noted that he had upcoming plans with Justine, telling the outlet, \u00ab\u00a0I\u2019m seeing her for lunch next week.\u00a0\u00bb
The siblings both rose to fame in Hollywood as child actors in the 1980s. Jason began acting at age 10, appearing in commercials before starring in hit shows such as \u00ab\u00a0Little House on the Prairie\u00a0\u00bb, \u00ab\u00a0Silver Spoons\u00a0\u00bb and \u00ab\u00a0The Hogan Family.\u00a0\u00bb
Justine was 16 years old when she was cast in her breakthrough role as Mallory Keaton on the TV sitcom \u00ab\u00a0Family Ties\u00a0\u00bb in 1982. The show became a huge hit almost immediately, turning Justine into a teen idol.
Jason has previously spoken about how the two faced pressure after becoming their family’s breadwinners. During his interview with Esquire, he noted that their careers had an impact on their dynamic with their parents, Kent and Victoria Bateman.
\u00ab\u00a0My sister and I had a peer relationship with our parents; they were our managers\u00a0\u00bb, he said.
The siblings’ career paths eventually diverged after they entered adulthood. Jason continued building his career as an actor, director and producer, while Justine shifted away from acting and established herself as a filmmaker and author.
In September, Justine slammed speculation that she and Jason were at odds due to political differences. Following President Donald Trump’s re-election in November 2024, Justine told Fox News Digital that she felt \u00ab\u00a0great\u00a0\u00bb about his victory and that a \u00ab\u00a0suffocating cloud\u00a0\u00bb had been lifted.
While Justine said she doesn’t support any political party, she said she found the team surrounding Trump \u00ab\u00a0very interesting\u00a0\u00bb, and their \u00ab\u00a0strong position\u00a0\u00bb on free speech won her over.
Meanwhile, Jason took part in a virtual rally for Trump’s opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, called \u00ab\u00a0Comics for Kamala\u00a0\u00bb that also included Jon Hamm, Tom Arnold and Kathy Griffin. During a June appearance on the podcast \u00ab\u00a0The Best People with Nicolle Wallace\u00a0\u00bb, Jason criticized Trump supporters, whom he said are \u00ab\u00a0by choice keeping themselves insulated from the facts and common sense.\u00a0\u00bb
However, Justine set the record straight regarding any rumored issues with her brother in a post shared to X, formerly Twitter.
\u00ab\u00a0Anyone 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\u00a0\u00bb, she wrote. \u00ab\u00a0I’m not interested in your fantasy about some imagined conflict between the two of us over your political ideologies.\u00a0\u00bb
\u00ab\u00a0Really, it’s sick\u00a0\u00bb, Justine added. \u00ab\u00a0So, 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.\u00a0\u00bb
During a 2015 appearance on the \u00ab\u00a0WTF with Marc Maron\u00a0\u00bb podcast, Jason reflected on his bond with Justine.
The \u00ab\u00a0Black Rabbit\u00a0\u00bb star said that he and Justine \u00ab\u00a0have that really kind of healthy relationship\u00a0\u00bb in which they don’t have to spend \u00ab\u00a0every day, every week, every month, every holiday\u00a0\u00bb together just because they are siblings.
\u00ab\u00a0It’s like, well, let’s earn the relationship that adults should or could have\u00a0\u00bb, he said. \u00ab\u00a0You’re not handcuffed because of the blood.\u00a0\u00bb
Jason noted with a laugh that Justine \u00ab\u00a0lived about a mile from my house\u00a0\u00bb at the time and admitted, \u00ab\u00a0Yeah, I could be a better uncle, brother, son.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n