Inside Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard’s Fiercest Defenses of Their Marriage
A decade in, Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard are still saying the quiet parts out loud, brushing off social-media blowback and celebrity hot takes since their 2013 wedding as they raise daughters Lincoln and Delta.
Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard don’t really do the glossy, PR-friendly version of marriage. They talk about the weird stuff, the hard stuff, and the stuff that sparks think pieces. Which is why, more than a decade after saying I do (2013) and two kids later (Lincoln and Delta), they’re still delivering moments that make headlines and, occasionally, make people mad.
April 2026: Dax finally addresses Kristen’s messy anniversary post
Remember that October 2025 anniversary tribute that blew up? The one where Kristen quoted Dax in a way that lit the internet on fire? On the Monday, April 6 episode of his 'Armchair Expert' podcast, Dax brought it up for the first time while talking with Nikki Glaser. He said he only found out there was a whole discourse because someone told him after the fact. Kristen had heard through her publicist but didn’t pass it along, and he shrugged off the chorus of commenters telling her to bail on their marriage.
For context, the line Kristen posted to celebrate their 12th anniversary was this:
'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.'
Not surprisingly, that landed badly with a lot of people. The National Network to End Domestic Violence told Page Six there’s nothing funny about jokes that trivialize the fear and trauma survivors face every day.
One side note with a little industry-insider flavor: Nikki Glaser said she had a joke lined up about the whole thing for the 2026 Golden Globes, but she cut it because she didn’t know where Dax stood on it yet.
February 2026: Kristen, about to host The Actors Awards, gushes about Dax
Right before she hosted The Actors Awards, Kristen told People that Dax is the guy who makes sure she’s taken care of and never tries to dim her light. She loves that he isn’t threatened when things are going well for her. More than a decade in, she called marriage a long haul, said they put a lot of work into it, and that they’re very supportive of each other, their marriage, and their family.
January 2026: Cher sits down and basically says Kristen could do better
On 'Armchair Expert,' Cher looked the couple in the eyes and said she thought Kristen could do better, romantically speaking. Kristen didn’t blink. She flipped it, saying Dax is almost too good for her and that what they have is a slow burn that stuck.
October 2025: The show, the marriage, and the post that backfired
While promoting season 2 of her series 'Nobody Wants This,' Kristen said she and Dax are very much an opposites-attract situation—and that, yeah, the public scrutiny never really stops. Same month, that 12th-anniversary post quoting Dax is what set off the backlash above. Again, advocacy groups called it out as not a joke you make, period.
September 2025: Dax reframes what 'success' in marriage looks like
Talking with Alicia Silverstone on 'Armchair Expert,' Dax said even if he and Kristen ever split, he would still call their relationship a big success. They loved each other like crazy, had two beautiful kids, and built a life they loved—so he’s not about to rewrite their history into something bitter. Along the way they’ve also had to swat down odd rumors (yes, including the 'hosted orgies' one) because of course they have.
September 2024: The gum incident that weirdly divided a room
On The View, Kristen defended a second-date moment that made half the audience recoil: she took gum out of her mouth, and Dax popped it into his. She thought it was cute—and a sign he might be her person. It was flirty, it was gross to some people, and it became A Topic. Welcome to being famous while dating.
February 2021: Setting the record straight when a commenter tried it
After a random Instagram comment claimed Kristen and Dax can’t stand each other and are always fighting (and tossed in an accusation that he was objectifying her), Kristen answered directly. She said they adore each other; they just try to be honest that long-term partnership is hard sometimes. You’re not always right, you can’t control everything, the idea of a perfect match is a myth, and you have to work at loving yourself and other humans. Which, yes, is basically their brand: imperfect, out loud, and still choosing each other.