Kristen Bell anniversary post draws backlash over violent joke

Kristen Bell drew a wave of criticism after an Instagram post marking her 12th wedding anniversary with husband Dax Shepard on Friday, Oct. 17. The photograph showed the couple embracing on a bed, and Bell quoted a remark by Shepard in the caption that referenced men killing their wives, adding that she would never be harmed despite joking she was "heavily incentivized" to kill him. The post prompted immediate backlash from many followers who said the comment was insensitive, particularly because October is observed in the United States as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Bell’s caption — which included the line "I would never kill you. A lot of men have killed their wives at a certain point" — was called tone deaf and triggering by numerous social media users. Critics wrote that joking about intimate partner homicide trivializes a serious and widespread problem and could be hurtful to survivors. Others defended the post as an inside joke between the couple and said critics were overreacting. The image and caption remain on Bell’s account, and she has not issued a public response to the criticism.

Bell and Shepard, who were first linked in 2007 and married in a private Beverly...