COUPLESKristen Bell and Dax Shepard Accused of Doing 'PR Control' on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' After Anniversary Backlash: 'Something's Off'
Some social media users believe Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard's 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' appearance was a PR move after they were ridiculed for a 'tone-deaf' joke in October.
Nov. 26 2025, Updated 12:29 p.m. ET
Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard are facing accusations that their Jimmy Kimmel Live! interview on Tuesday, November 25, was an orchestrated PR move to save face after they got themselves into hot water last month.
The longtime couple was heavily criticized after Bell, 45, made a controversial murder joke while wishing Shepard, 50, a happy anniversary on Instagram on October 17.
The Frozen star captioned a photo of the "Armchair Expert" host embracing one of their daughters: "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.'"
Kristen Bell's Anniversary Joke Landed the Couple in Hot Water
Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard appeared on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' on Tuesday, November 25.
The post went viral as it turned many off, with people claiming the joke made light of domestic violence. It didn't help that October was Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Social media users called the joke "unbelievably tone-deaf," "not funny at all" and "a wild thing to say."
One person wrote, "What kind of man says that to his wife? Oh wait, I know exactly what kind. Get out now, Kristen."
What People Are Saying About Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard's 'Jimmy Kimmel' Appearance
Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard faced major backlash for the off-color anniversary post.
One person wrote on a YouTube clip of their interview: "Them doing PR couple control after all the weird 'quirky' stuff they said caught headlines."
Another commented, "The timing for a couple interview is so pr coded," while a third user added, "Something's off."
A fourth took aim at Shepard, writing, "He's overpowering her in every way — physically encroaching her space and being way loud. Big 'drunk uncle that makes you feel uncomfortable' vibes."
"And why open with them slapping each other?" they continued. "I clicked on this hoping they'd succeed at some damage control — super unsettling to see that, even if it's a 'bit.' It's not cute."
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The couple's 2012 movie, 'Hit and Run,' recently released on Netflix.
The pair — who share two daughters, Lincoln, 12, and Delta, 10 — were there to promote their 2012 movie, Hit and Run, which was recently released on Netflix.
During the joint appearance, the Parenthood alum joked that he used to hang their Christmas lights, but now they pay people.
"I did," Shepard said, when asked if he hung them himself. “And then my wife made too much money and now I don’t.”
Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell sat down with Jimmy Kimmel ahead of Thanksgiving.
Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell discussed their Christmas decorations during the joint interview.
The stars revealed they were given a $17,000 quote by a design company to put up their holiday decorations.
They ended up paying a friend $3,000 to do the job.
