Actress Kristen Bell has limited comments on her Instagram post celebrating her 12th wedding anniversary with husband Dax Shepard after widespread criticism over the tribute.
The post, shared on October 18, included a black-and-white photo of the couple and a caption quoting Shepard: “Happy 12th wedding anniversary to the man who 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 intended as a humorous nod to their relationship, critics said the joke trivialized femicide and intimate partner violence. The timing coincided with Domestic Violence Awareness Month, prompting backlash online. Some commenters called the post “gross,” “misogynistic,” and “dangerous,” noting that one woman is killed by an intimate partner every 10 minutes worldwide.
Bell and Shepard, married since 2013 and parents of two daughters, are known for their irreverent humor on podcasts like Armchair Expert. By Sunday, Bell had restricted comments on the post, though she has not publicly addressed the controversy. Shepard has also not commented.
NBC’s Dateline added a single-word comment, “Screenshotted,” which was widely shared online and brought a lighter, meme-like response to the situation. As of Monday, the post remains live with restricted engagement.
The episode highlights the challenges celebrities face in sharing personal anecdotes while navigating social sensitivities. Bell, star of The Good Place and Frozen, and Shepard, an actor and director, have built a brand around candid humor, but this incident shows the fine line between edgy jokes and public offense.
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