When Kristen Bell’s dark anniversary post sparked instant backlash online, fans accused the actress of crossing a line, but it wasn’t the first time her marriage with fellow comedian Dax Shepard raised eyebrows.
Behind the couple’s public image, insiders have claimed that Bell and Shepard’s 12-year relationship has been marked by explosive fights, emotional “blackouts,” and couples therapy sessions that have so far kept them from breaking apart.
Kristen Bell’s dark anniversary joke reportedly hinted at deeper tensions
To commemorate their anniversary, Bell, 45, posted a photo of Shepard hugging one of their daughters. The image was wholesome, but the caption was not:
“Happy 12th wedding anniversary to the man who once said to me: ‘I would never k**l you. A lot of men have k**led their wives at a certain point. Even though I’m heavily incentivized to k**l you, I never would,’” Bell wrote.
The caption quickly ignited outrage online, with followers calling it “insensitive” and “tone deaf” especially since October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Citing insiders reportedly close to the couple, a Daily Mail exclusive claimed that Bell “didn’t realize” how her post would land. “Her humor can go dark and sometimes be funny,” an insider said. “But then she is also oblivious to people’s feelings and will say anything at any time.”
“The post was funny to her and Dax, but she didn’t realize the backlash that was coming. It was tone deaf, but at the end of the day, the people that know Kristen know that is the person she is.”
A second insider also suggested that Bell’s comment might have reflected something real beneath the surface. “Kristen and Dax are both pretty volatile people and can blow up over the smallest issues,” the source told the outlet.
“Sometimes Kristen or Dax will say something they think is a fun dig and the other one gets offended. They have a strange dynamic, but it seems to always work out in the end.”
Bell and Shepard reportedly have volatile fights and “blackout” arguments
Fans may remember Bell recalling a fight so intense that she said she “blacked out.” Speaking on Justin Long’s Life Is Short podcast, Bell admitted that she and Shepard once had a “top of our lungs screaming” fight over housework.
“It was about the things around the house that I felt I needed help with. We have a relationship where you are supposed to be able to say I need your help with this,” she said.
After leaving Shepard a note asking him to fold laundry, Bell said her husband saw it as “controlling,” and the argument escalated.
“Then we both blacked out and got into a fight and I don’t actually remember what happened but what transpired was a lot of volume, a lot of harsh words being thrown around,” she recalled.
Eventually, the couple stopped speaking for three days, though they still coordinated the logistics of getting their daughters to school. Bell said they reconciled after Shepard agreed to adopt a rescue dog. “I didn’t get an apology, but I got a dog,” she joked.
Insiders told the Mail that long silences after arguments aren’t uncommon with the couple. They “often don’t talk for days” after a major blow-up, one source claimed. Despite this, they still make sure to “keep their kids in the dark about their arguments.”
Bell and Shepard have spoken about therapy as a means to ensure the survival of their marriage
Shepard, who has spoken openly about his sobriety journey, admitted in his Armchair Expert podcast that he relapsed in 2020 after 16 years of sobriety.
“I felt so terrible about the lying,” he said at the time, confessing he had “gaslighted” Bell and their friend and co-host Monica Padman while hiding his relapse.
Despite the heartbreak, Bell stood by her husband, later posting a tribute marking his 21 years of sobriety: “This is what 21 years of sobriety looks like. Lots of hugging. Hugging everyone and everything. Hugging life.”
Therapy has been a constant lifeline throughout Bell and Shepard’s relationship. One insider told the Mail that “couple’s therapy has been the main reason that they haven’t broken up.”
The source added, “Dax has a big past with a**iction and going to therapy has been the a**iction he needs in his life. It gets him to deal with Kristen and vice versa. To stay together, they have to continue doing that,” the insider claimed.
“Their relationship is something they always have to work on, but they root for each other.”
Bell herself said she and Shepard went to therapy “right off the bat,” explaining on Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson’s podcast that they started within the first six months of dating.
“We’re both really stubborn,” she said. “We went to therapy a lot our first and second year.”
Netizens shared their thoughts on the insiders’ comments about Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard’s marriage on social media
