Conan O’Brien Blamed Jason Bateman for His Parents’ Passings

I don’t know how I will behave in the face of death. Well, I know how I’ll deal with my death if I see it coming. As a lapsed Catholic, I’m a firm believer that a good ole deathbed repentance won’t hurt anybody and will help me hedge my bets just in case. What I’m thinking about is the passing of those close to me. I’m lucky in that I’ve yet to have an immediate family member die, and any extended family members who have passed did so before my brain was fully developed.

All that to say, I haven’t had the moments where friends are approaching me, trying to comfort my grief. I haven’t had to think about how to respond to people’s kindness when I am feeling such pain. Ideally, I don’t have to deal with that for some time. It is going to happen, but I don’t welcome it nor want it anytime soon. When it does happen, I hope I can handle it like Conan O’Brien.

O’Brien’s parents both passed away within days of each other toward the end of 2024. It was an incredibly tragic moment that feels unimaginable. Losing one parent is hard enough, but losing both in such proximity to each other must be devastating. There are people in the world whose lives would be upended were they to face such devastation. They certainly wouldn’t be texting their friends jokes about it. Conan O’Brien is not one of those people.

Will Arnett recently appeared on Conan’s podcast to promote his new movie. Arnett is a perfect guest for Conan’s show. While this episode wasn’t as heavy with bits as past ones, there was plenty to laugh at. One moment in particular came with the caveat that it would be a personal story for Conan. And it was. Arnett revealed that he texted Conan shortly after learning of his parents’ passing with a message of love. Conan’s response? Blaming Jason Batman.

The Arrested Development actor goes on to reveal that he and Conan kept this bit up over several days, with even Bateman getting in on the action, texting Conan to say, “Arnett tells me you’re onto me.” If you think that they may have stopped these jokes when Conan’s mom passed days later, you would be incorrect! Instead, Arnett jokes that Bateman wants Conan’s sister’s address now.

The whole sequence is the hardest I’ve laughed in a while. It was “I have to stop doing the dishes and go play this for my wife” good. I don’t know if I would have it in me to joke around like that during such a tragic time, but man, oh man, do I respect Conan’s ability to do so.