Kristen Bell’s attempt at humor in her wedding anniversary post has gone over poorly.
Featured VideoThe actress marked 12 years of marriage to Dax Shepard with an Instagram photo and a caption that commenters labeled “disturbing” and “tone-deaf.” Bell quoted Shepard as once telling her he was “heavily incentivized to kill” her but never would, a remark she seemingly meant as an inside joke.
However, posting it during Domestic Violence Awareness Month ignited backlash from fans and advocates who said it trivialized abuse and reflected a deeper problem with celebrity “dark humor.”
Fans say Kristen Bell missed the mark with anniversary caption referencing violence
Although the post initially seemed like a simple celebration, the latter half of Bell’s caption immediately drew criticism.
AdvertisementIn her caption, Bell wrote, “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.’❤️”
Many online users accused her of showing poor judgment, especially given the timing in October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
AdvertisementFolks online expressed disbelief that Bell thought the message was suitable for public sharing.
“Thats a wildly sad and insensitive thing to say considering it’s domestic violence awareness month and thousands of women have died a the hands of the man they trusted…” one person wrote.
Another noted, “How can any self-respecting woman stay with a man who ‘jokes’ like that? I’m not even a very serious person, but that would have me leaving so fast your head would spin.”
AdvertisementA few fans defended Bell, writing that the post reflected her and Shepard’s dark humor. The official Instagram account for Dateline even joked, “Screenshotted.”
Social media outrage spreads to X
The backlash expanded rapidly on X, where folks shared screenshots of Bell’s post. Many framed the moment as an example of insensitivity from public figures.
Advertisement@EmmaSzewczak wrote, “The death of woke is Kristen Bell thinking it was ok to post this to her 16 million followers, during Domestic Abuse Awareness month, when a girl or woman is killed by a man known to them every 10 minutes.”
Another user, @tastefullysaucy, quoted a 2019 tweet from @OmogeDami that read, “All men benefit from the actions of violent men. It keeps women in check. It allows men to perform the barest minimum and still feel good about themselves. The existence of violent men grants ‘good’ men awards for basic decency.”
Meanwhile, @livingbrutallyy observed, “The concept of your husband telling you he feels heavily incentivized to kill you, AND the concept you posting it word for word… as a ‘happy anniversary’ post……..”
AdvertisementSome questioned why Bell viewed the remark as endearing. @FOOLSDANY tweeted, “genuinely believe that most straight women need therapy bc whyyy are so many of them attracted to shit like this?” Another user, @ravenswolf_, concluded, “Even if it’s meant as a joke, that one should’ve stayed between them. The bar is nonexistent at this point.”
If you are a survivor of domestic abuse or want more information on domestic violence and resources for victims, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline online or at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
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