Arnett Snaps at Bateman Over Ex-Wife Question

refused to answer an extremely personal question about his ex-wife during Monday's episode of the podcast SmartLess.

The Arrested Development star, 56, who was married to Poehler, 54, from 2003-2016, balked when co-host , 57, asked a very direct question having to do with bathroom etiquette - leaving fans horrified.

'Will, did you ever poo in front of Amy?' Bateman wanted to know.

'Are you looking for clicks?' a seemingly incredulous Arnett snapped back, adding: 'Are you trying to get something that we can click around?'

'I don’t talk about potty stuff. I don’t pick my teeth,' Arnett said as Bateman calmly persisted in his line of questioning. 

'I always forget people listening to this. Wait, but hang on. You were married to her, had two kids. You guys never went to the bathroom in front of each other?' the Ozark alum asked.

'I’m sorry. The question is, did I poo in front of Amy? And you’re saying that I don’t have manners? What are you talking about?' Arnett wanted to know.

When Bateman countered it 'was a good question,' Arnett was of a different opinion.

'The question is, did I poo in front of Amy? It’s not a good question. I refuse to answer it. It’s none of your f*****g business,' he said, adding that Poehler was 'going to be outraged' when she heard this.

Fellow podcast host Sean Hayes then asked Bateman if he 'poos' in front of his wife Amanda Anka, 57.

'We don’t use the same potty. If she needed to come in and ask me something important, she could and would,' Bateman answered.

'I don’t know if I would do that to her, though to hear her, she doesn’t poo and never has. It’s amazing,' he continued as Hayes and Arnett both chuckled.

Arnett and the former Parks and Recreation actress share two sons, Archie, 17, and Abel, 15. They separated in 2012, with their divorce becoming final in 2016. 

The actor, who recently , also has a son, Alexander, six, with ex-partner Alessandra Brawn.

Bateman and Anka, the daughter of legendary singer Paul Anka, have been married since 2001 and have two daughters, Francesca, 19, and Maple, 14.

Elsewhere in the discussion, Bateman told Arnett: ‘I don’t think you’ve ever farted in front of me.’

‘Well, it’s disgusting,’ Arnett replied. ‘What are you talking about man.'

‘It’s just dude s**t, you know,’ Bateman said, before going on to say, ‘Sean and I love our power burps.’

During an earlier SmartLess episode in December 2025, Arnett praised Poehler as ‘awesome’ and the person goes to when he needs advice about something: ‘I go like, “Hey, I'm thinking about doing this,” or “Hey,” whether it's life or work… I seek her counsel because it's important to me, because I trust her in that. She's awesome.’

Poehler has been dating podcast executive and former New York Times Magazine editor Joel Lovell since 2024, making their red-carpet debut at the 2025 Oscars.