By Isabella Torregiani
6:21pm PST, Feb 17, 2026
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Jason Bateman found himself in hot water over an awkward moment on the "
SmartLess" podcast.
The acclaimed actor raised eyebrows for teasing
Charli XCX about her choice to pass on having children and joking that she might "find someone" to change her mind — even though she is already married.
Keep reading for more on Bateman's blunder… MORE:
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The topic of children came up on the "SmartLess" podcast when Charli XCX said she "miss[ed] out on a lot of conflict" growing up as an only child.
Jason Bateman, who hosts the show with
Will Arnett and
Sean Hayes, responded by asking the Grammy winner, "Does that mean you would love to have more than one kid or would you like to have a kid that has the same sort of experience as you?"
The 33-year-old singer responded, "I actually don't really want to have kids."
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When asked why she doesn't want to have kids, Charli XCX replied, "You know, who knows?" She then added "that could change."
Still, the singer agreed with comedian Sean Hayes, who said, "I'd rather regret not having kids than have them and regret it later."
Charli explained she "love[s] the fantasy of having a child," though she added that "naming it" sounds like the most "fun" part of being a parent.
"That is exactly a sign to me as to why I should not have one: the fact that that feels like the coolest part about it? Maybe I'm not ready," she said.
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Jason Bateman suggested that "all that could change" and then recounted how his wife, Amanda Anka, once reconsidered her perspective on parenthood.
"[She] did not want to have kids — so the story goes," the Ozark star recalled. "And she said once we started going out, she was like, 'OK, I think I can have a kid with this guy.' So you might find somebody."
Charli XCX quickly noted, "Well, I'm married," to which Bateman quipped, "I've got to read a newspaper one of these days."
The singer, who tied the knot with George Daniel in July 2025, replied, "That's OK. I knew immediately where you were going to go and how I was going to respond, so I was looking forward to it."
Bateman claimed Charli hadn't "let [him] finish," adding, "Maybe your next husband, you're gonna want to have kids with him."
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The episode soon moved to a commercial break, prompting listeners to express their frustration over the awkward exchange in
YouTube comments.
"The girl has a whole song about her feelings on having kids. Two, actually, if you include the remix version," one fan wrote, referring to Charli XCX's "I Think About It All the Time."
On the 2024 track from the
Brat album, she sings of not having kids, "I'm so scared I'm missin' out on somethin.'"
Another fan added, "She should have been on 'Good Hang' with [Will Arnett's ex-wife], Amy Poehler, instead of this pod lol."
