During a recent appearance on SmartLess, Charli XCX found herself fielding a familiar—and pointedly personal—question: whether she plans to have children.
The podcast, hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett, prides itself on casual conversation. But that looseness drew criticism as the discussion veered into Charli’s reproductive choices, which is a decision that listeners noted the hosts rarely press younger male guests to defend.
As the conversation unfolded, Charli mentioned that she is an only child. Bateman followed up by asking whether her upbringing influenced how many children she might want herself.
The “Boom Clap” pop star made her position clear from the start:
“I actually don’t want to have kids.”
Sean, who is childfree himself, then asked Charli, “You don’t? Wait, why?” before adding, “It’s none of my business.”
Charli expanded on her thinking, explaining that while she understands the romanticized version of parenthood, that fantasy is precisely what gives her pause.
She explained her hesitation:
“I love the fantasy of having a child, like naming it sounds so fun, but like, 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, and, like, maybe I’m not ready, you know?”
Despite Charli repeatedly framing her answer as thoughtful and self-aware, Bateman continued the line of questioning, suggesting her feelings could change once she met the right partner.
Bateman pivoted to his own experience:
“I guess I’m backing into giving myself a half-assed compliment here, but my wife did not wanna have kids, so the story goes, so she tells.”
Bateman married Amanda Anka in July 2001 in Malibu. The couple, who have been together since 1998, share two daughters: Francesca Nora Bateman, born in October 2006, and Maple Sylvie Bateman, born on February 10, 2012.
The Arrested Development actor extended that personal narrative to Charli:
“Once we started going out…She was like, ‘OK, I think I can have a kid with this guy.’ So you might find somebody.”
But Charli shut him down with a simple, “Well, I’m married, so.”
That fact appeared to catch Bateman off guard. For those who don’t know: Charli married George Daniel, the drummer for The 1975, in a private London ceremony in July 2025 and the couple later held a larger celebration in Italy in September of the same year. They first connected in 2021 and became engaged in November 2023.
Bateman tried to laugh it off, saying, “I gotta read a newspaper one of these days.”
Easing the tension, Charli diffused the moment and reframed the exchange:
“You know, it’s OK. I knew immediately where you were gonna go, I knew my response, I was really looking forward to it.”
The moment only reinforced criticism that SmartLess failed to conduct even basic research on its guest, yet still felt entitled to interrogate her most personal life choices.
You can listen to the full exchange here:
The exchange quickly circulated online, with listeners questioning why Bateman felt entitled to press Charli on such a personal subject and wondering if he asks similar questions of male guests.
Many also pointed out the imbalance embedded in the conversation: decisions about having children carry far greater physical, biological, and career consequences for women, yet are often framed by men as inevitable or easily reversible.
You can view the reactions below:
What made the moment particularly glaring is that Charli has already addressed this topic—publicly and thoughtfully—elsewhere. In a previous interview with Rolling Stone, she spoke candidly about the pressure women face around motherhood and the anxiety tied to opting out.
Charli XCX reflected on those expectations:
“Am I less of a woman if I don’t have a kid? Will I feel like I’ve missed out on my purpose in life? I know we’re not supposed to say that, but it’s this biological and social programming. There’s a lot of pressure on women to not talk about that stuff super openly…”
She has also explored those questions musically. Her song "I Think About" grapples with uncertainty about the future and motherhood, inspired by watching close friend Noonie Bao become a parent. That context only underscores how little groundwork SmartLess appeared to have done before pressing her on the subject.
Meanwhile, Charli recently revealed the tracklist for her upcoming Wuthering Heights soundtrack via Letterboxd, and later shared it on Instagram at the film’s Hollywood premiere. The 13-track project includes "House," her collaboration with John Cale, and "Eyes of the World," featuring Sky Ferreira.
She also stars in the A24 mockumentary The Moment, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival on January 23 and is scored by longtime collaborator A.G. Cook, and is set to star in and produce an upcoming film from director Takashi Miike.
So while certain interviewers remain fixated on her hypothetical future, Charli XCX is busy owning her present.
