COUPLESKristen Bell Fails to Address Her and Dax Shepard's Controversial Post on 'The Tonight Show' Despite Mounting Backlash
Kristen Bell skipped a scheduled appearance on 'Today' amid the drama.
Oct. 24 2025, Published 10:53 a.m. ET
Kristen Bell chose not to address the elephant in the room.
While appearing on the Thursday, October 23, episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the actress failed to mention her and husband Dax Shepard's controversial Instagram post.
Kristen Bell Appears on 'The Tonight Show'
Kristen Bell didn't mention her and Dax Shepard's controversy while appearing on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.'
The actress, who was there to chat about Season 2 of Nobody Wants This, mentioned her family several times throughout the episode, even showing photos from past Halloween costumes.
The mom-of-two and Jimmy Fallon also talked about their past joint vacations and how often Bell hosts parties at her and her spouse's home. However, she made no mention of the controversy.
The Couple's Anniversary Post Sparks Backlash
Countless people ridiculed the actress for joking about domestic violence in her anniversary post.
The post in question came on October 17, with the Gossip Girl alum sharing a photo of them hugging to honor their anniversary — but the caption rubbed many the wrong way.
"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.' ❤️," wrote Bell.
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The comedian once told his wife, 'Even though I’m heavily incentivized to kill you, I never would.'
"Domestic violence isn’t a joke," one Instagram user commented on the upload, while another wrote, "Not funny at all. What kind of man says that to his wife? Oh wait, I know exactly what kind. Get out now, Kristen."
"Crazy thing to joke about honestly. Sincerely, someone who thankfully survived," penned a third, with a fourth noting, "What a wild thing to post during Domestic Violence Awareness month."
Even Dateline's official Instagram account caught wind of the post, commenting on it, "Screenshotted."
Some Fans Defended the Star's Upload
On the other hand, plenty of Bell's friends and fans thought the post was comical.
"He should write for Hallmark," joked Howie Mandel, while Zoey Deutch wrote, "you guys are the best."
"I am a survivor of Domestic Violence from a man who genuinely tried to unalive me. This post in no way is offensive!!!" one fan insisted. "It's adorable and a display of a goofy and loving relationship."
"This is not an offensive post and I have been in a verbally and physically abusive relationship that I had to go to therapy for years to recover," agreed another social media user.
The pair married in October 2013.
The couple has been open about their ups and downs, with the comedian admitting he would have no regrets about their romance even if they divorced one day.
"I say this all the time, like, if Kristen and I ever split up, I would only describe this as still an enormously successful relationship," he spilled on his "Armchair Expert" podcast in September. "Like, we loved each other to death. We had these two beautiful children. We had this great time together."
