Mallory from ‘Family Ties’ Was Called ‘Horrible’ after Embracing Natural Aging — At 57, She’s a Proud Mom with 3 Careers

Justine Bateman, a.k.a. Mallory Keaton from “Family Ties,” has expanded her skills after starring in the hit show.

Bateman was criticized for her physical appearance at 40 and faced backlash after releasing a book about aging naturally.

Despite the negative feedback, the actress is proud of her appearance.

Justine Bateman portrayed the character Mallory Keaton in the hit show “Family Ties” since she was only 16. Although she made a name for herself as the fashion-loving, gossipy teenager, Bateman soon proved her mettle in a range of other shows as well. The actress has accumulated a variety of acting credits over the years.

After finding success with “Family Ties,” Bateman starred in the 1988 film “Satisfaction” alongside many of her now-successful peers. She also starred in the hit comedy show “Arrested Development” in 2003 and has earned one Golden Globe nomination and two Emmy nominations for her work throughout the years.

Although she started acting early on in life, Bateman is now 57 and has changed much. As she aged, fans noticed how different she started to look from when she began acting as a teen, and many social media users have commented on her physical appearance over the years.

Bateman confessed that her experience with aging has largely influenced her outlook on life as an older actress.
Bateman has faced many of these comments with a stone-faced determination not to let it get her down. Over the years, she has learned to be confident in her own skin and often encourages others to embrace the changes that come with age. The actress has also opened up about her approach to aging.

Besides being a successful actress, Bateman also stepped behind the camera to direct and produce a number of projects. She also decided to continue her tertiary education, broadening her academic achievements with a range of new degrees to empower herself.

Reactions to Bateman Growing Older
Bateman is encouraging other women to empower themselves as well. Over the years, the actress has spoken out about Hollywood’s anti-aging culture and the reactions people tend to have to women aging naturally. Bateman has made her thoughts on the topic known in her 2021 book “Faces: One Square Foot of Skin.”

The “Satisfaction” actress wrote about women’s fear of looking old and how it affects a large portion of their lives. With her book, the actress hoped to encourage other women not to feel pressured into stressing about their age and their physical appearance. Instead, she hoped to make people see that the stigma around aging is more harmful than aging itself.

Bateman confessed that her experience with aging has largely influenced her outlook on life as an older actress. Seeing as she started her career at a young age, there has been much commentary online about how her looks have changed over the years, and she is acutely aware of the negative things people have said about her.

Although she always felt confident with her looks as a teen, Bateman was happy to see her skin reflect the joys and pain she felt in her life.

Nonetheless, the actress has consistently refused to let public opinion dictate how she lives her life. After her book was published, she explained how she stumbled onto comments about her physical appearance. A Google search of her name offered up a slew of insults and demeaning remarks.

One person wrote she looked like a “sea hag,” while a second accused her of being a “meth addict.” Another person wrote, “Justine Bateman looks horrible now.” Bateman confessed that the comments came as a shock, but she was also taken aback by the passion with which people wrote about her.

The actress noticed that people were putting an extraordinary amount of effort and resentment into many of the comments they left. To her, it seemed interesting that others were getting so worked up about how she looked as she grew older:

“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.”

Although she found nothing wrong with her face, Bateman succumbed to the overbearing amount of negative comments. She started to believe she looked old, and the belief stuck with her for a while. Eventually, she had to work through her own internalized fears, accepting her appearance and the effects of aging.

Over time, she realized that the way the world viewed her didn’t quite match what she saw in her own face. While people thought she was getting older, Bateman thought her face accurately portrayed her experiences throughout her life — a sort of testament to everything she has seen.

She recalled being ecstatic when she realized her face was starting to crease when she was younger. Although she always felt confident with her looks as a teen, Bateman was happy to see her skin reflect the joys and pains she felt in her life. The actress commented that as she grew older, she increasingly appreciated her appearance:

“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.”

With loosening skin and more wrinkles, Bateman had to look past the comments left by strangers on the internet. She started to look inwards, choosing to analyze and control her own reactions to other people’s opinions, which eventually helped her overcome the insecurities that stuck after hearing what people said about her.

The “Closer” star also noticed she wasn’t the only woman who felt pressured about their physical appearance. She observed that young women start using Botox and fillers even before their first wrinkles appear. This prompted her to write her book and disavow any artificial means of countering the aging process.