Jason Bateman recalls Monaco arrest after casino night
Jason Bateman said on SmartLess that he was once arrested in Monaco after drinking Champagne and leaving a casino in leopard print.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
2 min read
Jason Bateman has added a very un-Hollywood-polished chapter to his own legend: a Monaco casino night that, by his telling, ended with him under arrest.
The actor recounted the story on a new episode of his podcast SmartLess, according to TMZ, while talking with co-hosts Will Arnett and Sean Hayes. Bateman said the incident happened in Europe after a night at the tables that got away from him.
Bateman described being arrested for being “drunk and disorderly,” according to TMZ’s account of the podcast. He said he was wearing what he called a “nice little leopard outfit” at the time, a detail that quickly became the centerpiece of the story for his co-hosts.
The Monaco setting gave the tale a glossy backdrop: casino chips, Champagne and one of the world’s most expensive playgrounds. Bateman said he had cheap Champagne in the mix and described himself as “all banged up,” according to TMZ.
He also said he had casino chips in his pocket and used the word “rocked” to describe how affected he was that night, TMZ reported.
A wild SmartLess confession
Bateman told the story to Arnett and Hayes on SmartLess, the podcast the three actors co-host. The show often turns on loose celebrity conversations, and this one apparently took a sharp detour into Bateman’s personal nightlife files.
According to TMZ, one of Bateman’s co-hosts joked that the actor’s description of the episode sounded like it belonged on the cover of a biography. The quip came after Bateman laid out the arrest, the outfit and the casino aftermath.
No additional details were reported about when the arrest happened, what agency handled it, whether Bateman faced any formal charge beyond the alleged disorderly conduct, or how the matter was resolved.
Bateman is best known for screen roles that include comedies and darker television work, but the podcast story put the spotlight on a messier off-camera moment from his past. He presented the Monaco episode as a colorful memory rather than a current legal issue.
TMZ also posted video content connected to the podcast segment under the title “Jason Bateman Drunk and Disorderly.” The account centers on Bateman’s own version of events as shared with Arnett and Hayes.
Bateman has not been reported to have made any additional public statement about the Monaco arrest beyond the podcast story.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.