Kristen Bell’s Strange Anniversary Message to Dax Shepard Has Fans Who Can’t Believe She Posted It
Actress Kristen Bell is facing major backlash after sharing a questionable post about her husband, Dax Shepard, that many fans — and even television networks — found troubling.
The Good Place” star and her husband recently celebrated their 12th wedding anniversary, and she shared a sweet photo of the couple seated on a bed in a tight embrace, the perfect visual for lasting love.
But Bell’s caption left many feeling more than uneasy about how she chose to describe their relationship.
“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 “Veronica Mars” alum wrote in her caption on Saturday, Oct. 18.
Fans quickly flooded the comments, making it clear that Bell’s choice of words was questionable at best.
Almost 29,000 people liked a comment that asked, “is this… supposed to be funny?”
Another person echoed similar concerns: “Not funny at all. What kind of man says that to his wife? Oh wait, I know exactly what kind. Get out now, Kristen,” they said.
“Dateline” even entered the conversation, commenting “Screenshotted,” signaling they had taken note of the awkward exchange.
Another user added, “Crazy thing to joke about honestly. Sincerely, someone who thankfully survived.”
Others were even more appalled that the mother of two would post something like this during relationship awareness month. “Poor taste and timing,” they commented.
While many expressed concern, others defended Bell and her actor husband, suggesting critics were overreacting or misinterpreting the couple’s humor.
“Y’all are just trying to tear people down. This post is sweet, and that’s their goofy dynamic in their marriage, and I absolutely love it. Let happy people enjoy their happiness!” said one fan.
Another commenter wrote, “Happy Anniversary! The people that are criticizing must not be fans of you guys. Your fans understand your sense of humor.”
While some interpreted the caption as dark, inside humor between husband and wife, others pointed to past moments that have added fuel to the fire.
Following the post, a 2012 interview resurfaced in which Shepard jokingly admitted to hitting Bell during a disagreement, igniting more unease about their relationship.
Bell has not directly addressed the controversial caption, but her recent actions suggest she is aware that fans are eager for answers.
While on a press tour for her new Netflix project, “Nobody Wants This,” she recently canceled a scheduled appearance on NBC’s “Today” show after posting the photo, leaving her co-star Justine Lupe to handle the interview alone.
Amid the backlash, a rep for the National Network to End Domestic Violence told Page Six in a statement, “There’s nothing funny about,” Bell’s post, which appears to “trivialize the very real fear, trauma, and pain that millions of victims and survivors face each day.”
She later appeared composed during a Q&A session with reporters that evening, though according to Us Weekly, she avoided any questions about the anniversary post. Days later, she appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” where she did not address the controversy of her anniversary post.
