Jason Bateman’s Dark Past Revealed—Find Out Why He Dropped Out Of High School!

Although the former child star, 46, has openly admitted to getting swept up in a whirlwind of drugs and alcohol throughout his 20s, Star can exclusively report that Jason's partying began nearly a decade before—when he was just in high school.

"I sat next to Jason when he snorted cocaine off his hand during math class," claims a former classmate.

"He did it everywhere—halls, bathrooms, classrooms, you name it," adds the tipster. While Jason may not have tried to conceal his substance abuse from his peers at Bel Air Prep (now Pacific Hills School) in West Hollywood, the former child star was somehow able to shield his reckless behavior from entertainment industry bigwigs, who continued to cast him in leading roles, including his hit '80s TV series Valerie.

But Jason's cocaine problems took its toll on its education. "He never completed enough credits and dropped out of high school," says the source. "It no doubt had to do with his drug use."

But unlike most high school dropouts, Jason had a hefty bank account to fall back on, thanks to notable roles on Silver Spoons and Little House on the Prairie. "It was like Risky Business for 10 years," he said of his life in the '90s. "My parents were out of town, they left me a bunch of money, the car and the house. I wanted to play hard. And I did that really well."

But as Jason spiraled out of control, he stopped booking acting gigs and depleted his savings. "You know you're just about broke when your business manager turns you loose," he admitted.

Despite his crazy lifestyle, in 2001, Jason married his "best friend," Amanda Anka. At first his partying continued, causing havoc in their marriage. But one rainy Christmas morning, Jason finally chose to confront his demons and attend an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.

His reasoning: "Do you want to continue to be great at being in your 20s, or do you want to step up and graduate into adulthood?" He's been sober ever since.