Jason Bateman explains why he and sister Justine Bateman don’t see each other frequently

Jason Bateman says he and Justine Bateman “don’t see each other a ton” but meet occasionally, in Esquire interview

Jason Bateman has shared a rare update on his relationship with his sister, filmmaker Justine Bateman. The Zootopia 2 actor, 56, spoke to Esquire for its Winter “Meaning of Life” issue, explaining that he and his 59-year-old sister “don’t see each other a ton” but still “hang out” from time to time.

“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.

He added that their 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.”

Jason emphasised that there is no ill will between them, stating they are “nice to each other because we respect one another as individuals regardless of the blood thing.” He also mentioned he had plans to see Justine for lunch the following week.

Justine Bateman, who began her career on Family Ties, previously confirmed on X that there is no conflict between her and Jason over political differences. She described speculation about disagreements as “sick” and said she would block anyone discussing her brother in that context.

Jason’s comments echo earlier statements he made in 2015 on WTF with Marc Maron, where he described their relationship as “healthy,” adding that siblings do not need to see each other daily or on every holiday to maintain a strong connection.

The Bateman siblings have each built distinct paths in Hollywood, with Jason recently starring in Zootopia 2 and Netflix’s Black Rabbit, while Justine continues her work in filmmaking.

In the interview, Jason also reflected on his family life with wife Amanda Anka and their daughters, Francesca Nora Bateman, 19, and Maple Sylvie Bateman, 13, noting the joys and challenges of parenting alongside his Hollywood career.