Dax Shepard was no expert on this Kristen Bell controversy.
Nearly six months after his wife sparked outrage with an anniversary post containing a glib reference to murder, the Parenthood alum revealed he was in the dark on the backlash at the time.
“I was alerted by someone that this whole thing was happening,” Dax said on the April 6 episode of his Armchair Expert podcast. “I didn’t know, and Kristen knew through her publicist but didn’t tell me. So, I actually didn’t know, and this was brought to my attention.”
In fact, the 51-year-old admitted he first heard about the public pushback about “a week and a half” after the Frozen actress shared the anniversary post.
“I had no clue,” he continued. “Someone comforted me, and I was like, ‘What are you [talking about]?’ And then I had to go to Kristen, like, ‘What are they talking about?’ She’s like, ‘Oh, that post I had.’”
In October, Kristen uploaded a picture of her and Dax—who tied the knot in 2013—sharing a sweet embrace, writing in the caption on Instagram, “Happy 12th wedding anniversary to the man who, after and [sic] episode of Dateline, 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.’”
While many of Kristen’s followers remarked in the comments section how funny they thought the caption was, some were not so enthused.
“Joking about the violence others have actually had to face isn't it,” one user wrote. “This ain't right, joke or not.”
And though the Nobody Wants This star never addressed the controversy head on, she did shed light on Dax’s love for her months later.
“There’s nothing that he won’t do to take care of me,” she told People in February. “One thing that I love so much about being married to him is that he is never allergic to me shining more and more. He never gets insecure about it.”
For a look back at Kristen and Dax’s love story through the years, keep reading…
Who Is This?
"Who is this sparkly creature?'" Dax recalled thinking when he met Kristen at a friend's birthday dinner in 2007. After running into each other again two weeks later at a hockey game they decided to accept fate and start dating.
Opposites Attract
The old saying rings true for this couple, who both had doubts to go along with the butterflies early on. Dax said his playboy past didn't go unnoticed by "good girl" Kristen, who told Good Housekeeping, "We're the Paula Abdul video 'Opposites Attract' personified."
The Engagement
The two got engaged in late 2009 while co-starring in When In Rome together. They weren't immune to the romance of the Italian city and just like in their movie, the couple fell under a real life love spell.
Snuggling Sweethearts
In an interview about her relationship with Dax in 2010, Kristen shared,"A snuggle party can fix anything—it's true."
The Wedding
The couple got married in a simple ceremony at a Beverly Hills courthouse in 2013 after announcing their plans to wed on Twitter earlier in the year. Their choice to forego an extravagant wedding made their love story even more romantic to fans.
Next Comes the Baby Carriage
Bell gave birth to their first child, a girl they named Lincoln, in March 2013. Fiercely protective of her daughter's privacy, Kristen quipped, "I would really like to see the aftermath of the first person who tries to take a picture of Lincoln."
Parents of Two
In December 2014 the couple had their second daughter, Delta.
The Plot Twist
In an interview with Good Housekeeping in May 2015 Kristen shared that she and her hubby attend couples counseling when they need to work through an issue saying, "Therapy is not something to be embarrassed about."
Instagram Official
Kristen Bell finally joined Instagram in 2016 and inaugurated her account with a closeup of her and her husband sharing a kiss.
Happily Ever After
The two looked just as in love as ever at the premiere of Dax's new movie Chips in March 2017.
Happy Fourth!
They two celebrated the 2017 Fourth of July holiday in style.
Keepin' It Real
The pair continues to prove that they're just like any other couple. They openly share that they go to marriage counseling and sometimes fight. However what remains constant is their respect for each other. Kristen shared her marriage advice on Instagram writing, "Loving someone despite their faults, failings, or character defects, is the most powerful loving thing you can do. Rejoice in what makes the other person happy and allow them their individual interests."
Humor Is Key
Everybody Wants This
Kristen celebrated Dax's 50th birthday in 2025 with a carousel of photos showcasing a sampling of their affectionate moments.
"Happy birthday to the most affectionate 220 lbs man that ever [existed]," she wrote. "I cannot imagine life without you."