Jason Bateman has addressed the backlash he received after an awkward exchange with singer Charli XCX on his SmartLess podcast, in which he pressed the Brat star about her plans to have children. The actor-turned-podcast host spoke about the moment in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, saying the question felt like a natural follow-up — a response that has itself reignited debate online.
The exchange that went viral
In early February 2026, Bateman grilled Charli, 33, on how many children she wanted, suggesting she might change her mind if she met the right person. Charli said she was “maybe not ready to have kids” and added, “I actually don’t really want to have kids,” according to Nine.com.au and World News Network. Bateman, 57, did not know she had recently married The 1975 drummer George Daniel. When she told him, he quipped back, “Maybe your next husband” — a line listeners slammed in the podcast’s YouTube comments as “disgusted” and “gross.”
Bateman’s defence
“We were having a great conversation about her life growing up as an only child. It seemed like a very natural follow-up to that,” Bateman told The Hollywood Reporter. “That’s all it was. I don’t really have much [else] to say about it, except that it is always interesting and valuable and educational to hear people’s thoughts, reactions and feelings to anything I say or do.” The Hollywood Reporter noted that the SmartLess format — in which two of the three hosts have no idea who the guest is before taping — made such an awkward exchange more likely. Bateman co-hosts the show with Sean Hayes and Will Arnett.
Why the row keeps running
Charli appeared on SmartLess to promote her A24 mockumentary The Moment. The backlash centred on a wider debate about pressure on women over motherhood, with fans arguing that “you’ll change your mind” is a familiar and patronising line. Bateman’s response — that he had simply been following the conversation — has not settled that argument, and the clip continues to circulate months after the episode aired.
