Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard have landed themselves in hot water once again, this time after a disturbing interview from 2012 resurfaced, revealing the couple’s unsettling use of domestic violence as humor.
During a promotional interview for Hit & Run, Shepard deadpanned, “And then I hit her. Several times,” referring to Bell’s critique of his car’s troubling noise. Bell sarcastically added:
And then I got beat up, and guess what – I never opened my mouth again
Shepard slyly chimed in, “She learned.” The reporter’s nervous laughter underscored how jarring the remarks were. This old clip came back to haunt them just days after Bell’s controversial wedding anniversary Instagram post where she captioned a photo of Shepard holding her:
Happy 12th wedding anniversary to the man who 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 timing was especially tone-deaf as October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, sparking backlash from fans and critics alike.
Kristen Bell Skips ‘Today’ Show Appearance Amid Backlash Over Controversial Anniversary Post
In the aftermath of the heated criticism, Kristen Bell noticeably laid low by skipping her scheduled appearance on the Today show. The actress was set to promote the second season of her Netflix romantic comedy, Nobody Wants This, but instead, her co-star Justine Lupe appeared solo without mentioning Bell’s absence. Despite the no-show, Bell is still expected to attend Wednesday’s evening screening and discussion of the series at The 92nd Street Y in New York.
The backlash stems directly from Bell’s Instagram post on October 18 celebrating 12 years of marriage to Dax Shepard with a caption that struck a nerve during Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Fans flooded the comments, calling the joke “insensitive” and “tone deaf.”
However, the couple’s unique sense of humor has its defenders also. The awkward anniversary post, coupled with the resurfaced 2012 interview, has put the couple’s approach to dark humor and their personal relationship under intense scrutiny.
Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard’s Love Story: Complete Relationship Timeline
Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard crossed paths in 2007 at a birthday dinner for mutual friends, sparking what would become a long-running love story. They hit it off and started dating, but early on, Dax threw in the towel for a moment. Kristen opened up to PopSugar about that rocky patch, saying:
We were dating for about three months, and I already knew that I was in love with him and he was hesitant because he knew he was still dating other people. He sat me down and said, ‘I can’t have this right now. I think you’re wonderful, but I am still dating other people.’
Bell recalled falling to the ground “liquefied,” yet appreciated his honesty:
He called me and he was like, ‘I don’t know what I was thinking. I was dating someone else but they’re just not as interesting as you, and I don’t know what I’m doing,’ and he came back. But I still always remind him of when he broke up with me.”
The couple share two daughters Lincoln (2013) and Delta (2014) after a low-key wedding at Beverly Hills courthouse in October 2013. Bell famously described that day as the “easiest day” of her life (per Today). Throughout their years together, the pair has openly discussed their marital struggles, including therapy to manage patterns of arguing, and the effort required to maintain intimacy. Bell noted (via Us Weekly):
We don’t believe in The One. We don’t believe in the fairytale. We don’t believe that you can meet someone and you have a perfectly matching personalities. We are opposites and it has taken a tremendous amount of work and therapy for us to coexist.
Shepard added, “Relationships are labor intensive.” Their dynamic, described as “polar opposites” by Bell (per E! News) is fueled by mutual respect despite frequent disagreements. Therapy and communication seem to be pillars of their long-standing marriage, with Bell emphasizing (via Entertainment Tonight), “Common goals, seek them out,” especially highlighting their shared dedication to their children and creative collaborations.
Yet, the recent anniversary post controversy reveals cracks in their public image, particularly their boundary-pushing humor that some find unsettling given the serious nature of domestic violence. What do you think about their approach to dark humor? Drop your thoughts below!
