Jason Bateman has been criticized for awkwardly asking into Charli XCX‘s disinterest in having kids, with Bateman suggesting she hadn’t found the right person to have kids with yet, despite the singer being married.
The Ozark actor appeared alongside his SmartLess podcast co-host Sean Hayes in an interview with the ‘Brat’ singer. During their conversation, the trio discussed Charli’s upbringing as an only child, with Bateman inquiring into whether that would impact her hypothetical decision when it came to parenting.
“Does that mean that you would love to have more than one kid,” Bateman asked, “or would you like to have a kid that has the same sort of experience as you, where it’s an only child and you get to just nurture and protect?”
Charli replied: “I actually don’t really want to have kids?”
A seemingly bewildered Hayes replied: “You don’t? Wait, why? I know it’s none of my business…”
While Hayes then somewhat agreed with Charli’s take, saying that he’d “rather regret not having kids than have them and regret it later,” Bateman described how her perspective on having children “might change,” explaining how his wife never wanted to have kids until she met him. The actor noted that Charli XCX may “find somebody,” to which Charli replied: “Well, I’m married.”
“Ah, there we go,” Bateman awkwardly replied. “I’ve got to read a newspaper one day.”
Charli has been married to husband and musician/record producer George Daniel since July 2025.
The conversation can be heard in the SmartLess episode below:
Jason Bateman’s Charli XCX questions branded ’embarrassing’
Listeners were critical of the pair’s treatment of Charli on the podcast, with one YouTube commenter writing: “bye why’d they not research anything about her before she came on…. embarrassing and hard to watch.” Another added: “Stop questioning a woman’s decision not to have children. She knows herself. Listen, keep mouth closed (talking to you Bateman)!”
Jason Bateman is soon set to star in an upcoming HBO show with Stranger Things actor David Harbour, with a new trailer for the miniseries being recently revealed. Meanwhile, Charli XCX’s recent mockumentary movie The Moment recently debuted to a disappointing Rotten Tomatoes score.
