Music legend Cher didn’t hold back when she joined Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast alongside Kristen Bell, admitting she once believed her former co-star deserved a different partner.
While the 79-year-old pop icon ultimately said she trusts Bell’s judgment, the unusual exchange reignited conversations about the celebrity couple’s relationship, even if Shepard himself admitted that Cher’s reservations were not exactly misplaced.
Cher admitted that she once thought Kristen Bell could “do better” than Dax Shepard
Cher appeared on a January 5 episode of Armchair Expert, where Shepard, 51 addressed the controversial topic head-on.
Sitting beside his wife, Kristen Bell, 45, Shepard asked Cher who she thought would be Bell’s ideal partner.
“Who would be your dream partner for her? ’Cause I know you think she could be better, and I don’t disagree,” Shepard said, prompting laughter from the Believe singer.
Cher didn’t name an alternative partner but explained her perspective directly.
“The truth is, I trust her. So you must have something that I don’t see,” she said.
Cher and the Frozen star formed a close friendship while filming Burlesque in 2010, years before Bell and Shepard tied the knot.
In a previous comment, Cher stated that Bell earned her respect while filming the 2010 film, which also stars Christina Aguilera and Stanley Tucci, according to PEOPLE.
“We got along so well, and we were very sympatico, and I respected her a lot. I didn’t know who she was, but she was good,” Cher said.
Dax Shepard pleaded his case and openly embraced Kristen Bell’s spotlight
Shepard took the opportunity to defend his role in Bell’s life, stressing that her success has never intimidated him.
“I’m not threatened by her shining,” he told Cher. “Love it. The shinier she gets, the better.”
He also acknowledged the imbalance that often comes with loving someone as widely admired as Bell, adding that he understands why people feel “nobody’s good enough” for her.
Cher responded by drawing a comparison to her own relationship with her boyfriend Alexander Edwards, explaining that she values people who could genuinely celebrate their partners’ success.
“Alexander is that way too. The more I shine, the more he has won,” Cher said.
Bell summed it up by calling them “guys who polish you so you shine more.” She also told Cher that Shepard was “almost too good” for her.
Cher did compliment Shepard later on, telling the CHiPs actor that he seems “like a good dad.”
Bell immediately backed up the comment by calling Shepard “the best dad there ever was” to daughters Lincoln, 12, and Delta, 11.
Shepard undercut the sincerity with humor, however, joking that he was only on his best behavior to impress Cher. “That was the first hug I’d given my daughter in two years,” he joked. “Just because you were here.”
The podcast moment revived scrutiny of Bell and Shepard’s relationship, as well as Cher’s long list of partners
The podcast appearance came months after Bell faced backlash for a social media anniversary post that many netizens labeled as tone-deaf.
To celebrate their wedding anniversary, Bell shared a photo of Shepard and his daughter hugging with the caption: “Happy 12th wedding anniversary to the man who once said to me: ‘I would never k*ll you. A lot of men have k*lled their wives at a certain point. Even though I’m heavily incentivized to k*ll you, I never would.”
Critics pointed out that Bell’s caption was tone-deaf because the couple’s anniversary was in October, which also happens to be Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Other critics, however, also pointed out that Cher herself does not have the best reputation when it comes to selecting partners, especially since her current boyfriend is 40 years her junior.
“Cher is dating a man 40 years younger then her so she has no room to judge others,” one commenter wrote.
“If she’s talking about looks alone, just look at photos of Sonny & Cher from the 1960s & 1970s. Like… come on,” another argued.
Netizens shared their thoughts about Cher’s comments about Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard’s marriage on social media
