Bell-Shepard Anniversary Post Draws DV Joke Criticism

Kristen Bell's Instagram tribute to her husband Dax Shepard on their 12th wedding anniversary in October 2025 drew widespread criticism for referencing a dark joke about spousal murder, prompting the couple to limit comments on the post and sparking a public debate over humor and domestic violence awareness.

On October 17, Bell shared an intimate photo of herself and Shepard, captioning it with a quote from him: "Happy 12th wedding anniversary to the man who, after an episode of Dateline, 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." The post came during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, amplifying concerns from some social media users and advocacy groups. One commenter wrote, "Crazy thing to joke about honestly. Sincerely, someone who thankfully survived," alluding to personal experiences with abuse. The National Network to End Domestic Violence issued a statement saying, "There's nothing funny about domestic violence jokes that trivialize the very real fear, trauma and pain that millions of victims and survivors face each day."