Who were Jason Bateman’s parents? ‘Ozark’ star shares insight into relationship with sister Justine

Actor Jason Bateman sat down with Esquire on December 8 and opened up about the relationship he shared with his sister, Justine Bateman, who is a filmmaker, actress, and author.

According to the Ozark alum, he and Justine, 59, “don’t see each other a ton.” But they continue to share an intellectual rapport.

“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 Bateman stated.

He continued:

“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. We hang out, and we’re nice to each other because we respect one another as individuals, regardless of the blood thing.”

Jason, 56, also mentioned meeting his older sister for “lunch next week.”

Justine and Jason Bateman share parents Bruce Kent Bateman and Victoria Elizabeth Bateman.

Earlier this year, rumors surfaced that the siblings were going through an “imagined conflict.” However, in September, she refuted the claims via a post on X.

“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.”

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All about Justine and Jason Bateman’s parents

Bruce Kent Bateman, 79, was an actor, screenwriter, producer, and director in films and television. The Salt Lake City, Utah native worked for the Massachusetts-based production company Ealing Films in the 1960s and 1970s.

His notable credits include The Headless Eye, Death on Credit, Land of No Return, Bench At the Edge, Teen Wolf Too, The Rogue and Grizzly, and Breaking the Rules. Mr Bateman was also the executive director/ producer for the 1988 NBC movie, Moving Target, starring Jason Bateman.

Kent Bateman married Pan Am flight attendant Victoria Elizabeth I'anson in 1965. They welcomed their only daughter, Justine, the following year in February. Jason arrived in New York in January 1969. Later, the family moved to Massachusetts, Utah, and finally settled in California. The parents divorced in 1989.

In March 2011, Jason Bateman told The Independent during an interview that his mother was a “stewardess” for three decades and was often away from home.

“The household was atypical: my mother was out of town for two weeks out of every month, and my dad was always writing, so my sister and I were left to do our own disciplining. We were latch-key kids,” he stated.

He also shared that his parents were “productive with punishment” and often told him to read books when he was grounded.

The Arrested Development star appeared on the Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast in February this year and shared that when he started as a child actor, his parents became his managers.

“My parents were my managers, and they were making more money doing that than what they were: my mom was a flight attendant for Pan Am. My dad was a freelance writer, director, and producer. And, you know, 15 per cent of what I was making at that time just ended up being more than what they were making in their careers,” Jason Bateman shared.

However, he clarified that sharing their parents as managers created drama within the family when Justine acted in Family Ties between 1982 and 1989, and he became a cast member of Little House on the Prairie and The Hogan Family.

“It became an important component. We were living in a certain condo that we wouldn’t be able to live in if they were just using their salaries,” the Golden Globe winner added.

Jason Bateman also explained that he felt academic “pressure,” as failing his exams would mean losing his “work permit,” getting fired from the shows, not making money anymore, and losing their house.

It is noteworthy that Justine and Jason Bateman share three step-siblings from their father’s side, one from Kate Bateman’s first marriage to Barbara Jane Lowenthal and two from his third wife, Elaine Marie Eaton. They are Derek, Kedric, and Jordan. All marriages ended in divorce.

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Justine Bateman went on to marry Mark Fluent and together they share son Duke, 23, and daughter Gianetta, 21.

As for Jason, he married Canadian music icon Paul Anka’s daughter, Amanda (also an actress), and welcomed daughters Francesca, 19, and Maple, 13, with her.