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Jason Bateman shared a rare glimpse into his relationship with his sister Justine Bateman.
The 56-year-old appeared on the cover of Esquire’s Winter “Meaning of Life” issue and reflected on his bond with the 59-year-old actress in the accompanying interview.
“My sister and I don’t see each other a ton,” he admitted.
Jason Bateman opened up about his relationship with his older sister Justine Bateman. (Maya Dehlin Spach/WireImage; Lucianna Faraone Coccia/Getty Images)
However, Jason clarified that this wasn’t due to any conflict and explained that the two have a mature relationship built on mutual respect.
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“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,” 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 “Arrested Development” alum described his conversations with Justine as 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.”
“We hang out, and we’re nice to each other because we respect one another as individuals regardless of the blood thing,” Jason added.
Jason also noted that he had upcoming plans with Justine, telling the outlet, “I’m seeing her for lunch next week.”
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Jason said that he and Justine “don’t see each other a ton.” (Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
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 “Little House on the Prairie,” “Silver Spoons” and “The Hogan Family.”
Justine was 16 years old when she was cast in her breakthrough role as Mallory Keaton on the TV sitcom “Family Ties” 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.
“My sister and I had a peer relationship with our parents; they were our managers,” 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.
The two rose to fame as child stars. (Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
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 “great” about his victory and that a “suffocating cloud” had been lifted.
While Justine said she doesn’t support any political party, she said she found the team surrounding Trump “very interesting,” and their “strong position” on free speech won her over.
Meanwhile, Jason took part in a virtual rally for Trump’s opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, called “Comics for Kamala” that also included Jon Hamm, Tom Arnold and Kathy Griffin. During a June appearance on the podcast “The Best People with Nicolle Wallace,” Jason criticized Trump supporters, whom he said are “by choice keeping themselves insulated from the facts and common sense.”
However, Justine set the record straight regarding any rumored issues with her brother in a post shared to X, formerly Twitter.
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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. “I’m not interested in your fantasy about some imagined conflict between the two of us over your political ideologies.”
“Really, it’s sick,” Justine added. “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.”
Jason explained that they had a mature bond built on mutual respect. (Mike Guastella/WireImage)
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During a 2015 appearance on the “WTF with Marc Maron” podcast, Jason reflected on his bond with Justine.
The “Black Rabbit” star said that he and Justine “have that really kind of healthy relationship” in which they don’t have to spend “every day, every week, every month, every holiday” together just because they are siblings.
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“It’s like, well, let’s earn 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 be a better uncle, brother, son.”