It’s no secret that Hollywood stars — especially women — face immense pressure to maintain their looks as they age. We’re constantly bombarded with headlines about the newest cosmetic treatments and anti-aging routines celebs are trying to stay youthful.
But not everyone follows that path. Some, like Justine Bateman, choose to embrace their natural appearance and age on their own terms. The actress recently opened up about her decision to forgo cosmetic procedures, despite the societal pressure to do otherwise.
Justine Bateman is an actress, director, and writer, most recognized for her role as Mallory in the iconic 1980s sitcom Family Ties, which she starred in during her teen years.
She also appeared in Men Behaving Badly and had recurring roles on popular shows like Desperate Housewives and Still Standing. She’s also the older sister of actor Jason Bateman.
“I just don’t give a s—,” she said in an interview with 60 Minutes Australia. “I think I look rad. I think my face represents who I am. I like it.”
She added, “If I changed my face, I’d lose not only the authority I’ve earned but also the visual reminder of how far I’ve come. I like seeing that I’m not the same person I was at 20.”
Now 57, Bateman has experienced the same kind of pressure many actresses her age do — to get work done and stay looking young. But she’s made it clear: she’s not going down that road.
She began facing harsh criticism about her looks in her 40s, with people comparing her aging face to everything from a “sea hag” to a “meth addict.” The pressure to get Botox or surgery was intense.
“I thought my face looked fine,” she told People in 2021. “But because of other fears I was dealing with — ones that had nothing to do with my face — I started believing I was wrong and they were right… and I became absurdly ashamed of how I looked.”
Eventually, though, she let go of those voices and embraced her natural self. “Changing your face doesn’t make the fear go away,” she said.
“If you get plastic surgery, sure, you’ll look different — but that core fear is still there. It won’t disappear. In the end, it’s just about pleasing other people.”
Bateman, who also explored this topic in her book Face: One Square Foot of Skin, said it saddens her to see women so consumed by the pursuit of physical perfection.
“I feel sad they’re not just living their lives,” she told 60 Minutes. “Sad that they’re so distracted by this idea that they have to ‘fix’ their face before they can do anything else meaningful.”
We think Justine Bateman looks amazing — and more importantly, she feels amazing. No one should feel forced to change their appearance. Thank you, Justine, for inspiring more women to embrace aging with confidence.
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