Dax Shepard breaks silence on Kristen Bell’s disturbing anniversary post that sparked outrage from domestic violence groups

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Dax Shepard recently shared that he didn’t realize how much attention – and controversy – his wife Kristen Bell’s Instagram post about their relationship had caused.

The actress caused a lot of controversy last October when she posted a message celebrating twelve years together.

Bell faced criticism after sharing a joke her husband made – ‘I would never kill you’ – with fans. Many felt the comment was insensitive, especially because it was posted during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and accused her of downplaying the seriousness of domestic violence.

According to Dale Margolin Cecka, who leads the Family Violence Litigation Clinic at Albany Law School, comments similar to those made by Bell can make abuse seem acceptable and discourage victims from speaking out.

As criticism mounted, Bell had no choice but to restrict comments on the post.

Six months on, Shepard is finally breaking his silence on what went on behind the scenes. 

He revealed on Monday’s episode of his podcast, Armchair Expert, with Nikki Glaser as a guest, that someone had informed him about what was going on.

Honestly, it was a bit of a surprise to learn this through the grapevine. Apparently, my publicist knew about it before I did, but hadn’t mentioned it. It took about a week and a half for me to find out, and I was completely in the dark until then!

Shepard told Glaser that someone had expressed concern for them, so they immediately asked Kristen what was happening. Kristen explained it was about a post she had made.

The post featured a photo of Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell hugging, celebrating their 12th wedding anniversary. The caption included a quote from Shepard: ‘I would never kill you. A lot of men have killed their wives, and even though I have reasons to, I never would.’

The caption sparked a mixed bag of reactions.

Comedian Howie Mandel joked, ‘He should write for Hallmark.’ 

Honestly, a lot of people didn’t find it funny at all. One person, a survivor thankfully, actually commented saying it was a really insensitive thing to joke about, and I completely agree with them.

Another added, ‘What a wild thing to post during Domestic Violence Awareness month.’

Glaser mentioned a past, controversial social media post during a conversation with Shepard, explaining she’d briefly thought about referencing it in a joke during her Golden Globes monologue in January 2026.

She confessed that she hadn’t acted because of their friendship, explaining she didn’t want to cause him any more trouble.

‘I definitely want to hear it,’ Shepard encouraged.

Okay, so Kristen Glaser just showed us the most amazing thing! She whipped out her phone and read this hilarious text – ‘Die, My Love. If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You. Sorry, Baby.’ And then she dropped the bomb – it wasn’t just some cute message from Dax Shepard for their anniversary! It was a clue! She said those were actually the titles of movies nominated tonight! I’m seriously losing it – this is the best Oscar reveal ever!

Oh my gosh, when Shepard laughed at the joke, I was dying! But then Glaser explained why she cut it – and it totally made sense! She said she didn’t use it because, honestly, the moment had already passed, it wasn’t fresh anymore. I get it, she’s a perfectionist, and she only wants to give us the best material!

Even though she removed the joke from her speech, Shepard said everyone was still talking about the couple’s personal life at the Golden Globes.

The media’s attention had shifted to an interview the couple gave with Cher, who had worked with Bell in the movie Burlesque (2010). During the interview, the famous singer didn’t hesitate to share her honest opinions about Shepard.

“You’re a lucky one,” Cher said with a playful tone. “She’s clearly the stronger person in the relationship… you must have some quality that I’m missing.”

After the interview came out, the couple found themselves constantly asked about Cher during red carpet interviews at the Golden Globes. According to Shepard, ‘Every single interview was focused on Cher,’ he explained to Glaser.

What really bothers me is that we went ahead and released it. I actually think it’s funny, and that’s why I shared it.

As a longtime supporter of the National Family Violence Law Center at GW Law, I was really disappointed to see Danielle Pollack, their Policy Manager, publicly criticize that post in the Daily Mail last year. It felt like a necessary response, but it was still upsetting to witness.

Pollack explained that while some people use dark humor to lighten the mood around sensitive topics like domestic abuse and homicide, casual jokes can actually minimize the seriousness of these issues and affect how society and official systems respond to them. The truth is, femicide—the killing of women—is the number one cause of death for pregnant and postpartum women in the U.S., and globally, many women are killed every day by current or former partners.

As someone who works with people rebuilding their lives, I’ve seen firsthand how crucial support is. If survivors feel like society isn’t taking abuse seriously, it can actually make it harder for them to leave a dangerous situation. Sadly, even seemingly casual comments from people in the public eye can send a really damaging message, making someone feel even more trapped and less likely to reach out for help.

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2026-04-07 20:19