Jason Bateman and Justine Bateman's familial ties remain as robust as ever. The voice actor of Zootopia 2 shared a glimpse into their current bond, confessing that while they "don't see each other often," their relationship is far from strained. "We don't have the typical 'We meet every Thanksgiving or Christmas and our kids want to be together,'" he shared in an interview with Esquire, published on December 8th. "But in a beautiful way."
Instead, Jason, now 56, explained that he and Justine, 59, have forged a connection based on mutual interest rather than familial obligation. "Our conversations are the rich exchanges you'd have with a close adult friend, not the petty back-and-forth you might have with your adult sibling," he continued. "We hang out and we're kind to each other because we respect each other as individuals, regardless of the blood tie."
Despite the infrequency of their in-person interactions, Jason—a father to daughters Francesca, 19, and Maple, 13, with wife Amanda Anka—revealed plans for an upcoming visit, adding, "I'm seeing her for lunch next week."
Justine, a mother to Duke, 23, and Gianetta, 21, with husband Mark Fluent, has also remained steadfastly loyal to her brother over the years. In September, she sent a strong message to her social media followers, dismissing the notion of an "imagined conflict" between herself and the Arrested Development alum. "Anyone bringing up my brother to me for any other reason than to say you enjoy his new upcoming show or any of his past work," she wrote on X (formerly Twitter) in September, "will be ignored at best, and blocked at worst."
