Dax Shepard is opening up about the backlash surrounding Kristen Bell’s controversial anniversary post revealing he didn’t even know about the situation until well after it had gone viral.
Bell sparked criticism in October after sharing a candid Instagram tribute celebrating the couple’s 12th wedding anniversary. In the caption, she referenced a past comment from Shepard, writing that he once told her, “I would never kill you,” adding that while some men have harmed their wives, he never would a remark that many of her followers deemed “insensitive” and dismissive of domestic violence.
The backlash quickly escalated, prompting Bell to restrict comments on the post.
Now, months later, Shepard has shared his side of the story on his podcast Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, during a conversation with comedian Nikki Glaser.
“Well, I was alerted by someone that this whole thing was happening,” Shepard said. “Kristen knew through her publicist, but didn’t tell me. So, I actually didn’t know, and this was brought to my attention [after] a week and a half… I had no clue.”
He added that someone initially approached him to offer comfort, leaving him confused about what had happened. “I had to go to Kristen, like, ‘What are they talking about?’ She’s like, ‘Oh, that post I had.’”
The original post featured a photo of the couple embracing, accompanied by the now-viral caption referencing Shepard’s remark about never harming her, which drew widespread criticism online.
During the podcast, Glaser revealed she had even planned to reference the controversy in her monologue at the Golden Globe Awards 2026, but ultimately decided against it.
“But I didn’t do it because I’m friends with you,” she told Shepard. “And I was like, ‘I don’t want to make his life harder.’”
At Shepard’s urging, she read the joke she had prepared: “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.”
She explained she also cut the joke because the controversy had already faded by the time of the awards ceremony.
However, Shepard noted that the situation remained a talking point during the event’s press circuit. He said that by the time they attended the Golden Globes, attention had shifted to another viral moment a joint interview with Cher, Bell’s co-star in Burlesque.
In that interview, Cher joked about Shepard, saying, “You’re lucky… She’s definitely the better half… you must have something that I don’t see.”
“Every interview we did was about Cher,” Shepard said, reflecting on how quickly public attention moved on.
Despite the controversy, Shepard stood by the couple’s sense of humor. “The thing that drives me nuts is, like, we released it. We posted it,” he said. “I think it’s hilarious. That’s why I posted it.”
The incident highlights how even personal moments shared online can quickly spiral into larger conversations especially when humor intersects with sensitive topics.
Source: EW