Jason Bateman Sparks Backlash for Awkwardly Questioning Charli XCX About Not Wanting Kids

Jason Bateman is getting flak on social media for a seemingly awkward interview moment on the latest “SmartLess” podcast episode in which he asked Charli xcx about having children and then told her she might change her mind about not wanting kids. The Grammy winner stopped by the podcast to promote her new A24 movie “The Moment.”

via: EW

The latest episode of the award-winning podcast hosted by Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes featured the British singer recalling growing up as an only child. When Charli shared that she believed she "miss[ed] out on a lot of conflict" being an only child, Bateman — who is the younger brother of actress Justine Bateman and shares two children with his wife, Amanda Anka — then asked if that meant The Moment star would like to have multiple kids, or just one who has the same sort of experience as her.

"I actually don't really want to have kids," Charli shared, and when asked why, added, "You know, who knows? That could change."

Hayes noted that he knows "that's none of my business," before sharing that he feels the same way. "I want to want to have kids... I've said it a million times, but I'd rather regret not having kids then have them and regret it later. You never know what you're going to get," he explained.

"I love the fantasy of having a child like naming it — it sounds so fun — but I'm like, that is exactly a sign to me as to why I should not have one," Charli reasoned. "The fact that that feels like the coolest part about it? Maybe I'm not ready."

Bateman then chimed in and said that "all that could change," pulling from personal experience and recalling that Anka also didn't want kids before they got together. "I mean I guess I'm backing into giving myself a half-assed compliment here, but my wife did not want to have kids, so the story goes. She said once we started going out she thought, 'OK, I think I can have a kid with this guy.' So you might find somebody," the Zootopia 2 voice actor said.

"Well, I'm married," Charli replied, referring to her husband, The 1975 drummer George Daniel. The pair tied the knot in London this past July and had a second ceremony in Italy in September.

Bateman acknowledged the correction with a laugh, quipping, "I've got to read a newspaper one of these days," in response.

"That's okay," Charli replied. "I knew immediately where you were going to go and how I was going to respond, so I was looking forward to it."

Bateman then joked, "maybe your next husband, you're gonna want to have kids with him."

While some listeners were upset that the co-host didn't already know of the "Apple" singer's nuptials, the concept of the SmartLess podcast is that one of the hosts brings an interview subject without telling his fellow hosts. Thus, at least two of the co-hosts can't research their interview subjects before the episodes.

Representatives for Bateman and Charli didn't immediately respond when Entertainment Weekly reached out for comment.

Fans on social media were quick to call out Bateman's line of questioning. One user on X called the episode an "incredible rough listening experience," while another dubbed it "one of the worst pieces of media of all time."

"The conversation I expect from these faces and names," another X user wrote in response. In another thread discussing the episode, a commenter wrote, "Btw, if a woman says she doesn't wanna have kids, THEN THATS THE END OF THE STORY. saying 'maybe you'll change your mind when you get married...' is GROSS."