Kristen Bell has opened up about the complexities of her marriage to Dax Shepard and some of the challenges they face.
The actress, known for her role in Frozen, has been married to Shepard for over ten years, and they have two daughters together.
In honor of their 12th anniversary, Bell shared a tribute to her husband that caught people’s attention.
She posted a photo of them embracing and wrote: “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.'”
Though the post was meant humorously, it drew criticism and was described as ‘tone deaf’ by some.
One commenter remarked, “What a wild thing to post during Domestic Violence Awareness month.”
Another called it ‘horrifically insensitive,’ though many understood it as characteristic of Bell and Shepard’s humor.
Representatives for the couple were contacted for comment.
Soon after, Bell missed a planned TV appearance, though no reason has been disclosed.
Following the controversy, an interview with PEOPLE featured Bell discussing her relationship dynamics with Shepard.
Drawing parallels to her character Joanne’s early struggles in Nobody Wants This, Bell noted similarities to her own life.
“Having someone I feel that is very opposite from me is certainly something that I feel. I feel like my real-life husband and I are ‘opposites attract,'” she commented, emphasizing their effort to make things work.
Bell elaborated on her relationship with Shepard: “It just meant we did have to have a lot of patience for each other to figure out what the compromises would be, and a general understanding that we’re probably going to have different viewpoints on almost everything – and figure out a respectful way to have those discussions.”
She also touched on the possibility of Shepard appearing on her show, Nobody Wants This, as Brody’s wife, Leighton Meester, does in its second season.
“I would of course want him to come on the show. He would never do it – he’s kind of retired from acting,” Bell said.
“Maybe he’ll go back one day, but he loves podcasting and he’s not starved for opportunities.”
Shepard is currently hosting the podcast Armchair Expert and recently featured Jennifer Aniston as a guest.