This “Family Ties” Actress Was Called A ‘Sea Hag’ & ‘Horrible’ Before Deciding To Embrace The Criticisms About Aging Naturally

Dec 26, 2023 by apost team

It’s common for people to want to look their best at every single age. Celebrities in Hollywood are no exception to this, so it’s not surprising that many turn toward methods to help them with their aging process. While a healthy lifestyle and good genetics can help with the aging process, some people choose to rely on cosmetic procedures or plastic surgery to keep them looking youthful.

However, many celebrities are now saying enough is enough – it’s time to embrace aging. This has resulted in many people embracing their gray hair and straying away from getting Botox or other cosmetic procedures. One celebrity who has proven that she’s happy with the way she looks, no matter what age, is Justine Bateman.

Justine is a writer, director and producer. She is best known for her work on “Family Ties,” as well as “Satisfaction,” “Men Behaving Badly,” “The TV Set,” “Desperate Housewives” and “Californication.” On top of that, she made her directorial film debut with “Violet” in 2021. 

Working in the entertainment industry seems to be in her family’s genes. Justine’s father is Kent Bateman, a movie producer and director, and her brother is Jason Bateman, an actor.

It’s safe to say that Justine has grown accustomed to life in the public eye. However, that doesn’t mean she has catered to what others want or expect from her. While Justine once thought about getting Botox or fillers in order to look younger, she ultimately chose to age naturally and has continued to defend that choice ever since. However, Justine faced backlash for her natural way of aging, prompting people to lash out at her, even calling her “horrible” at one point. 

Read on to learn more about Justine and what she had to go through because of her choice.

Justine was born on Feb. 19, 1966, in Rye, New York, making her 57 years old. Her mother was a flight attendant, and her father, Kent, is a known producer and director. Her brother, Jason, is also an actor, just like herself.

Being in “Family Ties” was monumental for Justine’s career, but it ultimately prevented her from attending college due to her contractual obligations. Nonetheless, the sitcom was very successful, lasting from 1982 to 1989. In the series, Justine played the character of Mallory. The series also starred Michael J. Fox, Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter.

As a notable person in the spotlight, Justine has used her platform to talk about topics that are important to her, including fame and aging naturally. Her book “Fame: The Hijacking of Reality,” which was published in 2018, is “a passionate and critical analysis of the life cycle of Fame.” 

In an interview with Los Angeles Magazine, Justine talked about how she tried to “process why things were affecting” her self-esteem and sense of self. She also divulged in more detail about how fame can impact a person and why she believes so many people want to be famous.

Justine’s second book, “Face: One Square Foot of Skin,” was released in 2021. In the book, Justine “examines the aggressive ways that society reacts to the aging of women's faces.”

Speaking with TODAY in 2021, Justine talked about trying to unravel the “root” of what causes women to be so obsessed with looking youthful and worrying about their overall appearance. Instead, she hopes to help people see that growing older is nothing to be ashamed of. 

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At 57, Justine has received backlash because of her choice to age naturally. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, she was called names like “sea hag,” and “meth addict,” and people even wondered why she looked “horrible” now, despite seeing herself the other way around.

She also spoke with “60 Minutes Australia” and talked about the criticism she’s received from others about her natural appearance and the decision to age naturally. When she was 42, she was doing research online and decided to search for herself and was surprised by what she found. 

“I put in my name, googled my name, Justine Bateman, and then the autocomplete came up which was ‘looks old,’” the actress said. She added, “And I looked at the pictures that they had as evidence and I couldn’t see what they were talking about.”

At first, she was surprised by how people were investing an inordinate amount of time on resenting her. 

"So, yeah, I do find that really interesting that my face, or someone's older face, would push other people's buttons so much. You know, maybe because they themselves are very critical of their own faces,” she told Time Magazine. 

At one point, Justine succumbed to these criticisms, recalling that it was difficult for her to get out of the rabbit hole. Eventually, it dawned on her and she started standing up for herself. 

“I just never had a challenge about my looks, so I didn’t know what to do with it. Instead of thinking, I’m right and they’re wrong, I decided that they were right and I was wrong. It settled inside of me and took a long time to get all that out. Why did I make that choice to accept that? I had to really examine why,” she told Glamour Magazine. 

Justine was content with embracing her looks and aging the way she was meant to. The actress told 60 Minutes Australia:

“I just don’t give a s***. I think I look rad. I think my face represents who I am. I like it.”

Justine opened up about how she thought about getting Botox or fillers in the past but ultimately chose against doing so as they would erase who she is. 

“I feel like I would erase, not only all my authority that I have now, but also, I like feeling that I am a different person now than when I was 20,” she explained. “I like looking in the mirror and seeing that evidence.”

Justine added:

“I’m saying forget about your face. That’s what I’m saying. Get at the fear that is making you think that the fact that your face is wrinkled is going to X out a bunch of opportunities for you.”

In her book “Face: One Square Foot of Skin,” Justine wrote about finding enjoyment in the signs of aging. 

“I was elated when creases emerged across the tops of my cheeks when I smiled,” she wrote. She mentioned liking the forming of bags under her eyes and the skin on her neck becoming loose.

As Justine reflected, she told The Sydney Morning Herald:  

“I think about how many tears have come through this face, how much joy, how much exhaustion or exuberance – that’s an incredible collection of experience that this really small area of my body has taken on.”

Despite people still criticizing Justine for her choices, the 57-year-old has a few projects in the works. Her genuine words are sure to inspire many more people to join the bandwagon of folks who are embracing growing older.

Are you a fan of Justine Bateman? What do you think about Justine Bateman’s outlook on aging? Do you agree with her? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your loved ones.