Dax Shepard speaks out about Kristen Bell anniversary post backlash

Brendan Morrow, USA TODAYTue, April 7, 2026 at 12:37 PM UTC

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Dax Shepard is speaking out about that Kristen Bell anniversary post backlash.

On the April 6 episode of his "Armchair Expert" podcast, the "Parenthood" star, 51, addressed the controversy surrounding Bell's Oct. 17 Instagram post celebrating their wedding anniversary. The "Good Place" actress, 45, wrote, "Happy 12th wedding anniversary to the man who, after [an] episode of 'Dateline,' once said to me: 'I would never kill you. A lot of men have killed their wives at a certain point. Even though I'm heavily incentivized to kill you, I never would.'"

The post sparked outrage as some fans argued Bell was making light of domestic violence and that it was tone-deaf during Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Speaking with his guest Nikki Glaser on "Armchair Expert," Shepard alluded to the situation when he dismissed "all these people that are convinced I'm beating Kristen," arguing those who were "outraged" about the post were people who have "never been in a relationship."

Dax Shepard, left, and Kristen Bell attend the "Power Of Love" gala at MGM Grand Garden Arena on Feb. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"We both grew up with domestic violence, so if you tell me how domestic violence works, I can tell you those guys who beat my mom's a-- never went online to find out if it was acceptable from someone," he said. "That's not actually how it works. ... So you want to be really mad about a hypothetical scenario that's never happened."

Kristen Bell shares divisive anniversary post for Dax Shepard: 'I would never kill you'

Glaser quickly jumped in to defend Shepard during the interview, arguing Bell was simply sharing "inside jokes that you make in your house," adding that anyone would similarly be "canceled" for the things they joke about privately with their spouse. "The backlash to whatever you went through, I think, was spurred very intensely by people just not understanding that kind of intimacy," she told Shepard.

Later in the episode, Shepard looped back to the topic and told fans, "Don't insult my wife. She doesn't need your protection. You don't need to diminish her. That's what pisses me off." But the actor admitted he had no idea about the backlash to Bell's post until "a week and a half" after the fact.

1 / 0See actors Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard's romance in photos

Hollywood couple Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell married in 2013 and share daughters Lincoln and Delta. See their relationship in photos, beginning here at the premiere of "Couples Retreat" on Oct. 5, 2009, in Westwood, California.

"Kristen knew through her publicist, but didn't tell me," he said. "So I actually didn't know, and this was brought to my attention. ... I had no clue. Someone comforted me, and ... I had to go to Kristen, 'What are they talking about?' And she's like, 'Oh, that post I had.'"

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In fact, Shepard recalled his mother reached out to offer support, only for him to realize she was actually supporting him for something entirely different: His comments that he offered to pay to freeze his daughter's eggs when she turned 18.

"My mom called me and she goes, 'I'm proud of what they're saying.' And I go, 'That people think I abuse Kristen?'" he said. "And she goes, 'Oh, what's that? No, the thing about freezing your daughter's eggs.' I'm like, 'Wait a minute. That's a story?'"

Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard attend the 2025 TIME100 gala in New York on April 24, 2025.

But while Glaser was on Shepard's side, she shared a joke about the post that she wrote her Golden Globes monologue but didn't use: "'Die My Love.' 'If I Had Legs I'd Kick You.' 'Sorry, Baby.' ... These are not just Dax Shepard captions for his anniversary post. These are movies nominated tonight."

Some of Shepard and Bell's famous friends defended the anniversary post at the time, with Terry Crews writing, "This is LOVE❤️😂." But others took to the comments to share their outrage. "Domestic violence isn't a joke," read one comment that received over 55,000 likes, while another person wrote, "Crazy thing to joke about honestly. Sincerely, someone who thankfully survived."

The official Instagram account for NBC's "Dateline" also wrote in the comments, "Screenshotted."

While on the topic of recent controversies, Shepard also dismissed news coverage of an "Armchair Expert" interview with Cher where the legendary singer said he is "lucky" to be with Bell. Shepard said it drives him "nuts" to see people suggesting he was offended by the comments or that it was an awkward situation.

"We released it," he said. "We posted it! You know how I feel about it: I think it's hilarious. That's why I posted it."

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788.

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