Jason Bateman recalls his Monaco arrest following wild night out, reveals unique outfit

Jason Bateman, the Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actor best known for playing Michael Bluth in the Fox/Netflix sitcom Arrested Development, recently looked back on one of the wildest moments from his early career.

During a candid conversation on his comedy and talk podcast SmartLess (which he hosts with Will Arnett and Sean Hayes), the Ozark actor reflected on his younger years.

Offering fans a rare glimpse into the reckless lifestyle he had before he got sober, Jason Bateman opened up about the night he was arrested in Monaco after an evening of heavy partying, in a 'leopard outfit.' While Bateman has previously spoken about his struggles with alcohol and the consequences of his behavior, this latest retelling stood out for this unique & unforgettable fashion choice.

More on this in our story.

Why was Jason Bateman arrested in Monaco?

Jason Bateman has never shied away from revealing the details of his wild party days, which ended in the early 2000s. Reflecting on one such night on his Smartless podcast, the Ozark actor revealed that he was once arrested in Monaco for being drunk and disorderly. Bateman revealed that he was sporting a little leopard outfit that night. Check out the actor's comments:

“I was arrested in Monaco for being drunk and disorderly in a nice little leopard outfit. [I was] fresh from the casinos, all banged up on cheap Champagne and a pocket full of [casino] chips.”

While Jason Bateman's Monaco arrest would have made waves on social media today, the actor was fortunate to have witnesses this wild night at a time when there were no social media & camera phones. In a previous interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor reflected on his wild and carefree lifestyle throughout the 1990s, revealing that he had many wild nights like these, back in the day.

While the Black Rabbit actor got away with most of the nights, he had many close calls, like his raucous adventure in Monaco.

Jason Bateman's sobriety journey

It's no secret that Jason Bateman struggled with addiction to alcohol and dr*gs throughout the 1990s. However, the Arrested Development actor made a major change in his lifestyle when he married actress Amanda Anka in July 2001, marking the beginning of his sobriety journey.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor opened up about the early negotiations with his wife. According to Bateman, Anka didn't ask him to stop drinking outright but she urged him to think about going sober, as intoxication tended to make him unpredictable.

After much back and forth, Bateman finally decided to quit drinking altogether, as he revealed in the interview:

"She didn’t demand that I completely absolve, but that was sort of the back-and-forth, and I was like, well, I feel like my [sobriety] ETA is six months away, but if I could land this plane now, it would alleviate a lot of the tension, so let’s just f*cking do it."

Additionally, Jason Bateman, who now has two daughters, Francesca (19) and Maple (14) with Anka, wanted to 'check a lot of boxes' before becoming a father and thus bid goodbye to his wild partying days.

Jason Bateman began his career as James Cooper in the Western historical drama series Little House on the Prairie. 2017 marked a turning point for Bateman, as he returned to the small screen as director and actor in Netflix's crime drama Ozark, which received positive reviews from both audiences and critics.

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In a career spanning four decades, the actor has appeared in many popular projects like The Hogan Family, George and Leo, Florida Man and Lessons in Chemistry.

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