Dax Shepardis speaking out about thatKristen Bell anniversary post backlash.
On theApril 6 episode of his "Armchair Expert" podcast, the "Parenthood" star, 51, addressed the controversy surrounding Bell'sOct. 17 Instagram post celebratingtheir 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 guestNikki Glaseron "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."
"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 Bellshares 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.
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. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Bell, Shepard and Amy Poehler attend the 2011 VH1 Do Something Awards at the Hollywood Palladium on Aug. 14, 2011.
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Shepard and Bell attend the 2011 UNICEF Ball at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on Dec. 8, 2011.
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Shepard and Bell present an award onstage during Spike TV's 6th annual "Guys Choice Awards" on June 2, 2012, in Culver City, California.
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Bell and Shepard at an event on July 26, 2012, in New York City.
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Bradley Cooper, Bell and Shepard arrive at the premiere of "Hit and Run" on Aug. 14, 2012, in Los Angeles.
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Shepard and Bell speak onstage during the 2012 Do Something Awards on Aug. 19, 2012, in Santa Monica, California.
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Bell poses with Shepard at the 2013 CMT Awards on June 5, 2013, in Nashville.
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Shepard and Bell attend "The Judge" premiere during the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival.
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Shepard and Bell attend the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards.
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Bell and Shepard depart the Oscars on March 2, 2014, in Hollywood, California.
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Bell and Shepard arrive at the 2014 Vanity Fair Oscar Party on March 2, 2014.
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Shepard and Bell attend the 100th annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner on May 3, 2014, in Washington, DC.
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Shepard and Bell attend the premiere "The Boss" on March 28, 2016, in Westwood, California.
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Bell and Shepard attend The 41st annual People's Choice Awards on Jan. 7, 2015, in Los Angeles.
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Shepard and Bell attend the 2015 Film Independent Spirit Awards on Feb. 21, 2015, in Santa Monica, California.
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Shepard and Bell speak onstage during the fifth annual Baby2Baby Gala on Nov. 12, 2016, in Culver City, California.
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Shepard and Bell attend the 74th annual Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 8, 2017, in Beverly Hills, California.
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Shepard and Bell attend the 2017 People's Choice Awards in Los Angeles.
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Shepard and Bell arrives at the premiere of "CHiPS" at TCL Chinese Theatre on March 20, 2017, in Hollywood, California.
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Shepard and Bell attend the premiere of "A Bad Moms Christmas" on Oct. 30, 2017, in Los Angeles.
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Shepard and Bell attend the 76th annual Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 6, 2019, in Beverly Hills, California.
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Shepard and Bell attend the 2025 Time100 Gala on April 24, 2025, in New York City.
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Shepard and Bell attend the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 14, 2025, in Los Angeles.
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Shepard and Bell attend the 82nd annual Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 5, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California.
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Shepard, Maria Shriver, Jimmy Kimmel, Molly McNearney, Bell, Amanda Anka and Jason Bateman attend the annual "Power Of Love" gala on Feb. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas.
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Shepard and Bell speak onstage at the gala.
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Shepard and Bell attend an event on Jan. 10, 2026, in Los Angeles.
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Bell and Shepard attend the 83rd annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton on Jan. 11, 2026, in Beverly Hills, California.
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See actors Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard's romance in photos
Hollywood coupleDax Shepard and Kristen Bellmarried in 2013and share daughtersLincoln 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: Hiscommentsthat 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?'"
But while Glaser was on Shepard's side, she shared a joke about the post that she wrote for 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 Cherwhere 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 theNational Domestic Violence Hotlineat 800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Dax Shepard dismisses Kristen Bell anniversary post backlash
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