Dax Shepard is pushing back against online claims about his marriage to Kristen Bell. He addressed the accusations on his podcast, saying the criticism has been difficult to ignore. He also explained why the backlash has hurt his wife.
Dax Shepard addresses online accusations about his treatment of Kristen Bell
On the Nov. 9 episode of “Armchair Expert,” Shepard said the rumors had reached Bell in a painful way. “Another round of me being a terrible person was in the media, and like, I avoided that,” he said. “But then it hit Kristen’s doorstep really hard,” he added. He described claims that he is “controlling, abusive” and “flirting with people in public,” which he denied.
The discussion followed Bell’s October 26 podcast appearance, during which she described Shepard complimenting people at restaurants. She recalled him telling a server, “Wow, you have incredible eyelashes, gorgeous eyes, great job.” Bell said she interpreted the gestures as a way of flirting with her because she enjoys watching him show kindness. Online critics, however, characterized the behavior as disrespectful and described it as emotional abuse and manipulation.
Shepard said the accusations were particularly hurtful because he grew up around abusive men and has tried to live differently. “I don’t ever yell at my children,” he said of his daughters, Lincoln, 13, and Delta, 11. He added, “I don’t swear at them. I don’t yell at my wife.” He called the speculation “deeply insulting” to Bell, saying it suggested she was modeling an abusive relationship for their daughters.
Shepard also said people had misunderstood Bell’s comments about his compliments. He explained that he often praises men, including someone whose shoes he likes, because he wants to brighten their day. He offered “publicly $10 million to any server you can find that I have given my number to, or hit on.” He said the repeated accusations make him wonder whether being called “a terrible man” will become his public identity, adding that they make him “want to g
