Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell are known for speaking candidly about their marriage, and their closeness with podcast co-host Monica Padman is now drawing fresh curiosity.
Over the years, the trio has grown particularly tight-knit, with Shepard and Bell previously even quipping that they have a “three-way marriage”.
Shepard and Bell married in 2013. Padman, meanwhile, relocated to Los Angeles in 2011 — two years before the couple officially tied the knot.
As Padman worked to break into acting, she also took on other jobs to keep herself afloat, as many aspiring performers do.
That path eventually led her to Shepard and Bell, where she was first brought in to babysit their children, Delta and Lincoln, before later stepping into a broader role as Bell’s assistant and speechwriter.
Reflecting on that period in 2024, Padman said: “I would come every morning. And it was really all hands on deck, whoever was there.”
She continued: “It was a village mentality, which was nice because it didn’t feel stressful. It wasn’t like, ‘You have to do this and then this.’ It was very loose.”
In time, the arrangement shifted from a typical workday into something much more immersive, with Padman sometimes staying over rather than heading home.
“I would be there all day,” she said. “And at night, sometimes I would go home, but sometimes I wouldn’t… I just became a part of that family.
“They let me be a part of that family. It was really special.”
Not long after, Shepard started exploring the idea of launching a podcast and invited Padman to join him as co-host. When the show debuted in 2018, Bell appeared as the very first guest.
The podcast, Armchair Expert, has since landed a distribution agreement with Wondery that has been reported to be worth around $80 million.
Padman’s ongoing role in their lives has even prompted playful commentary, with a source jokingly telling the Daily Mail: “Monica is not only heavily involved in Dax’s podcast, but also sometimes like the third wheel in his marriage to Kristen.”
They added: “She’s made herself invaluable to them, and the kids love her.”
Bell has also spoken in the past about what she believes keeps their relationship strong — including how they navigate moments when work calls for on-screen romance.
“Even if Dax hooks up with the most beautiful person in the world at work, I know he’s committed to our family,” Bell said.
“I know he’s coming home. I know he loves our children. I know he strives to be a great husband and father.”