Kristen Bell missed a planned appearance on a talk show just days after causing a stir online for undesirable reasons. The star of Nobody Wants This celebrated her twelfth wedding anniversary with Dax Shepard by posting a contentious Instagram message on Friday, October 17.
The couple, who started dating in 2007, got married in Beverly Hills six years later. They have two daughters, Lincoln, 12, and Delta, 10.
In the post, Bell 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,'” accompanying a picture of them embracing.
Bell and Shepard are known for their unique sense of humor and for sharing personal aspects of their relationship, including some censored intimate images.
While some found Bell’s ‘joke’ in line with the couple’s usual eccentric humor, others felt it crossed a line. A Reddit user commented, “I’m glad they get each other’s humor. And I’m glad I do not,” while another added, “Exactly this. I get that it’s supposed to be funny, but I did not laugh.”
The timing of Bell’s post coincided with Domestic Violence Awareness Month, first declared by Congress in 1989 to amplify the stories and voices of survivors.
A representative from the National Network to End Domestic Violence told Page Six that there was ‘nothing funny’ about jokes that downplay the very real fear, trauma, and pain experienced by millions of victims and survivors daily.
This occurred just before the second season of Bell’s popular Netflix series, Nobody Wants This, was released on Thursday, October 23. The show features Bell as a Los Angeles podcaster who unexpectedly falls for a newly single rabbi.
Bell was expected to appear on NBC’s TODAY on Wednesday morning, October 22, to promote the show with co-star Justine Lupe, according to the program’s schedule. However, Lupe attended the interview alone, with no mention of Bell’s absence.
The reason behind her absence has not been clarified.
The day before, Bell was active on social media as she prepared for publicity related to Nobody Wants This. She posted a photo on her Instagram Stories of herself on a plane and shared a video of getting ready, as reported by Page Six.
She added, “I cannot wait to tell you about Season 2 of @Nobodywantsthisofficial !!” in a text overlay.
NBC and Kristen Bell’s representatives have been contacted for comments.