Dax Shepard has responded to accusations that he is 'controlling' and 'abusive' towards his wife Kristen Bell, admitting that the growing negative public perception of their marriage has left him deeply frustrated.
The 51-year-old actor, who has been married to the Nobody Wants This star since 2013, addressed the claims during Monday's episode of his Armchair Expert podcast, revealing that he initially tried to ignore the criticism until it began affecting his wife.
'Another round of me being a terrible person was in the media, and I avoided that,' he explained. 'But then it hit Kristen's doorstep really hard, and then I got to find out everything that people are saying about me.'
Frustration Over 'Weird Narrative'
Shepard expressed frustration at the 'weird narrative' that has developed around his relationship, which has faced growing scrutiny following a series of public anecdotes about the couple's unconventional marriage.
'[The] weird narrative that is surrounding me as like controlling, abusive, now flirting with people in public, which I don't do… It's so frustrating,' he said.
The Parenthood actor explained that the accusations were particularly painful given his childhood experiences of growing up around abusive men, something he said had motivated him to approach his own relationships differently.
'I don't ever yell at my children. I don't yell at my wife,' he insisted. 'To have given it my all to be the opposite of what now some group of people is saying I am, it's hard.'
Insult to Kristen Bell
Shepard also argued that the accusations were insulting to Bell, 46, suggesting that portraying him as an abusive husband inevitably raised questions about his wife's judgement and the environment in which they were raising their children.
'She's what, she's sitting in a house with her two daughters and modeling some abusive relationship? Like, it's very offensive to her.'
The latest controversy emerged after Bell discussed one of her husband's unusual ways of flirting with her during an October 26 episode of Armchair Expert.
According to the actress, Shepard sometimes makes her feel special by complimenting other people when they are out together, explaining that she finds his efforts to brighten a stranger's day attractive.
'There's a couple things Dax does where he doesn't have to look up and wink at me, but I know that he's just being the best boy,' she said. 'We'll be at dinner and, like, he'll say to the waiter or waitress, he'll go, "Wow, you have incredible eyelashes, gorgeous eyes. Great, great job."'
'But that's flirting with me because he just made someone else feel good,' she added.
Misunderstood Anecdote
However, the anecdote prompted criticism online, with some interpreting Shepard's behaviour as inappropriate flirting with other people in front of his wife.
Addressing the backlash, Shepard suggested that Bell's explanation had been misunderstood. 'I think she phrased it in a way that got easily confused for people,' he said. 'If you think I'm complimenting like hot young waitresses, yeah, you got a problem.'
Instead, Shepard said he deliberately sought out people who might not regularly receive compliments, explaining: 'I'm finding the dude that I don't think's had a compliment in a while and tell him I love his shoes.'
Series of Controversies
The criticism is the latest in a series of controversies surrounding the couple, who were once widely celebrated for their candid approach to discussing the realities of marriage.
Last October, Bell sparked outrage after sharing an anniversary tribute in which she recalled a particularly dark joke her husband had made after watching an episode of Dateline.
'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,"' she wrote alongside a photograph of the pair embracing.
The post attracted criticism from people who felt the joke trivialised domestic violence, prompting Bell to limit comments.
The couple have also previously discussed an explosive argument over household chores, which began when Bell left her husband a Post-it note asking him to fold two towels in the dryer. Bell recalled that the disagreement escalated into an 'angry, angry fight' and resulted in the pair not speaking for three days.
Changing Public Attitudes
Their willingness to discuss such incidents publicly was once considered part of their appeal, with Bell and Shepard becoming something of a poster couple for the earnest, relatable celebrity culture of the 2010s.
Indeed, Bell's famously emotional reaction to being surprised with a sloth for her birthday became a viral sensation after she shared the footage on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2012, helping establish the pair as one of Hollywood's most endearing couples.
But public attitudes towards relationships have changed considerably since then, particularly as conversations about emotional abuse, coercive control, and unhealthy relationship dynamics have become more prominent online.
While greater awareness of these behaviours has helped people recognise warning signs that might previously have been dismissed, it also raises questions about where the distinction lies between conduct that outsiders personally dislike and behaviour that constitutes abuse.
A tasteless joke or an unpleasant marital disagreement can reasonably attract criticism without necessarily providing sufficient evidence to make much more serious claims about the nature of somebody's relationship.
Difficulty Ignoring Criticism
For Shepard, the recurring controversies have become increasingly difficult to ignore, particularly as he feels the criticism has developed into an established public narrative about his character.
'Usually I can brush [rumors] off, but when we're now on year two of now there's a new one, then it just starts making me think, "Oh is this just my f***ing role?"' he said. 'Like every four months there's a new thing about me being a terrible man.'
The actor admitted that the situation had left him wanting to withdraw from public life altogether. Shepard and Bell married in an intimate courthouse ceremony in Beverly Hills in October 2013 and share two daughters, Lincoln, 13, and Delta, 11.
