Several experts in domestic violence prevention weighed in on the heated debate surrounding Kristen Bell’s disturbing 12th wedding anniversary post with Dax Shepard. In the caption, Bell shared a dark confession made by her 50-year-old husband, which was quickly slammed online for being “tone-deaf” and “insensitive.” “Celebrities would be better off to leave their social media to their PR people,” one user wrote.
Domestic violence experts shared their opinions on Kristen Bell’s controversial anniversary post
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The post featured a photo of the lovebirds firmly embracing each other while sitting on the edge of their bed. It was accompanied by a caption in which Shepard confessed to his wife his homicidal thoughts toward her. “Happy 12th wedding anniversary to the man who once said to me: ‘I would never ki** you. A lot of men have ki**ed their wives at a certain point. Even though I’m heavily incentivized to ki** you, I never would.”
Image credits: kristenanniebell / Instagram
The words raised alarms, especially since October is recognized as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and an intense backlash soon followed. The controversy escalated to the point where the Veronica Mars alum had to restrict her comment section, not only on the Instagram post but also across other platforms. “Not funny at all. What kind of man says that to his wife? Oh wait, I know exactly what kind. Get out now, Kristen!” exclaimed one netizen.
The 45-year-old actress joked about domestic violence during Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Image credits: kristenanniebell / Instagram
Amid the ongoing scandal, Dale Margolin Cecka, Director of the Family Violence Litigation Clinic at Albany Law School, spoke out about the negative connotation of such a remark. According to him, actions like this by big names in the industry only help to “normalize ab**e and silence survivors.” Cecka told Daily Mail, “DV is not a punchline — it’s a pervasive, life-altering issue. Survivors often carry trauma that can be re-traumatized by casual remarks, especially from public figures.”
Image credits: kristenanniebell / Instagram
Image credits: kristenanniebell / Instagram
“What might seem like a joke to one person can feel like a dismissal or minimization of real suffering to another. Let’s not forget that about 1 in 3 female homicide victims is ki**ed by an intimate partner.” The lawyer, who has worked closely with DV survivors for years, firmly stated that Bell’s caption was “far from a casual joke.” “When high-profile individuals downplay intimate partner violence, it sends a signal that fame or influence allows someone to avoid the social and legal consequences of ab**e.”
Experts accused “high-profile” stars like Kristen of normalizing serious crimes against women
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“This joke speaks to a larger lack of understanding of or appreciation of the real victims behind domestic violence,” she added. Another expert, Danielle Pollack, Policy Manager for the National Family Violence Law Center at GW Law, highlighted how “domestic ab**e and homicide” are issues that need to be handled with “gravity.” “While dark humour is sometimes used to diffuse the seriousness of domestic ab**e and homicide, making flip comments can inadvertently undermine the gravity of these issues and how DV is handled and viewed by society and systems.”
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Pollack added, “If survivors feel society doesn’t take ab**e seriously, they can be less incentivized to escape their ab**er.” Meanwhile, Hollywood Crisis Management Expert Eric Schiffer shared advice for Kristen on how to manage this career-blundering moment and recover. “Silence here reads brutally ugly, Kristen needs to own it then move forward. Let people know she trivialized ab**e and apologize. I’d also tie the apology to a donation link and hotline info and let action carry the headline.”
The Good Place star has not yet addressed the controversy, and experts have echoed that her silence is “brutally ugly” in this situation
Kristen Bell forgetting her own wedding anniversary has us in TEARS. 😭 pic.twitter.com/JqEpQLIMqK
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) October 17, 2025
“Ignoring survivors during their month is catastrophic.” Publicist Alexandria Hurley agreed with Schiffer’s advice and echoed the same sentiment in her statement to the outlet, saying, “If I were her publicist, I’d advise her not to double down or defend it as ‘just a joke.’ Instead, she should acknowledge the mistake, apologize sincerely…” “She needs to address it, clearly and quickly. Silence in a situation like this reads as indifference. A straightforward apology acknowledging poor judgment and reaffirming support for survivors would go a long way.”
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Meanwhile, author and advocate Melody Gross feels the scandal is a “learning opportunity” for both Kristen and Dax. “My recommendation is for Bell and her husband to only respond to the backlash after they’ve done the work to truly understand the impact of her words.” Therapist Soula Hareas also shed light on the negative impact Kristen’s recent words could have on today’s youth.
Experts advised Kristen to take “responsibility” and “apologize” for her actions if she wants to salvage her career
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“If a girl were to read that post, they may assume it’s ok when a man jokes about ab**e and may not recognize or accept the seriousness of their own ab**ive relationship. For boys this signals that it’s ok to treat a woman with disrespect as long as it’s done in a joking manner,” explained Hareas. While the 45-year-old actress has not yet responded to the controversy, nor has Shepard, Bell recently made a rare public appearance.
Image credits: Red Carpet Report on Mingle Media TV / Flickr
On the night of October 22 (Wednesday), the star walked the red carpet for a screening of Nobody Wants This and a Q&A session at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. The next day, she did an interview with People where, although she didn’t address her anniversary post, she did discuss how she and Shepard make their marriage work. The couple tied the knot in a private ceremony at the Beverly Hills courthouse on October 17, 2013, after nearly six years of dating, and together they share two daughters, Lincoln and Delta.
Kristen discussed the challenges she has faced in her relationship with Shepard despite being together for almost two decades
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“Having someone I feel that is very opposite from me is certainly something that I feel. I feel like my real-life husband and I are opposites attract.” “But that doesn’t mean we couldn’t make it work, or didn’t want to make it work,” the Gossip Girl alum shared. Bell highlighted how, early on in their romance, she and the Armchair Expert podcast host worked out the “compromises” they both had to make for their relationship to function.
Image credits: kristenanniebell / Instagram
“It just meant we did have to have a lot of patience for each other to figure out what the compromises would be, and a general understanding that we’re probably going to have different viewpoints on almost everything, and figure out a respectful way to have those discussions.” Citing Kristen’s silence on the domestic violence controversy, one user commented after her interview, “The longer she waits to apologize, the more her career will not be recoverable.”