Jason Bateman Sparks Backlash After Pressing Charli XCX on Why She Doesn't Want Children

Jason Bateman is getting some criticism online after a new episode of his podcast features him and his co-hosts awkwardly pressing Charli xcx about why she doesn’t want kids.

In the episode, which started streaming on Monday (February 2), Charli, 33, is a guest on Jason‘s Smartless podcast with co-hosts Will Arnett and Sean Hayes.

At one point they’re talking about growing up and Charli being an only child.

Jason, 57, then asks her if that influences how many kids she wants to have, wondering if she wants to “have more than one kid” or maybe one who “has the same sort of experience as you?”

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In response, the “Girl, So Confusing” singer said: “I actually don’t want to have kids.”

Sean, 55, chimed in immediately to ask her, “You don’t? Wait, why?” Though a few seconds later he followed up with, “It’s none of my business.”

But Charli responded thoughtfully, saying she likes the “fantasy of having a child, like naming it, it sounds so fun, but like that is exactly a sign to me to why I should not have one, the fact that that feels like the coolest part about it and like, maybe I’m not ready, you know?”

However, from there, things get awkward as Jason started telling a story about how his own wife, Amanda Anka, supposedly didn’t want children before she met him. Now they have two daughters.

He suggests that she “might find somebody” who will change her mind, too.

To which Charli replied, “Well, I’m married.” She and her husband George Daniel held two weddings last year, one in London, and another in Italy.

The Ozark star then joked that he needed to “read a newspaper,” but Charli did come to his rescue a bit, saying she understood where he was going with his anecdote.

Jason followed up with another joke that maybe she will want a kid with her “next husband.”

A fan posted an audio clip of the exchange on X/Twitter.

Charli is far from the only celeb who has said she doesn’t want kids. Find out what other stars have been open about it and their reasons why.