A video has resurfaced of Dax Shepard joking about hitting wife Kristen Bell just days after the actress faced backlash for her “tone-deaf” anniversary post.
Shepard and Bell were being interviewed by SheKnows while doing press for their 2012 movie “Hit and Run” when he made the off-color joke about striking her.
In the clip, Bell recalled getting into a car with Shepard after he spent two years “souping it up.”
Dax Shepard joked about hitting Kristen Bell in a 2012 interview. She Knows/Youtube
Bell recalled riding in a car with her husband while doing press for their movie “Hit and Run.” She Knows/Youtube
“He was so excited. We drove to brunch and the first thing I said, five minutes into the ride, I said, ‘This sounds like it’s gonna break,’” Bell said.
Shepard deadpanned that he was “very offended.”
“And then I hit her several times,” Shepard joked, prompting Bell to add cheekily, “And then I got beat up, and guess what — I never opened my mouth again.”
“He was so excited. We drove to brunch and the first thing I said, five minutes into the ride, I said, ‘This sounds like it’s gonna break,’” Bell said. She Knows/Youtube
Shepard said he was “very offended” and joked that he “hit her several times.” She Knows/Youtube
The reporter then told the couple that they had “quite the interesting relationship.”
The strange exchange materialized just days after Bell was in hot water for sharing a controversial message on her and Shepard’s 12th wedding anniversary.
The “Frozen” star shared an Instagram photo of her and Shepard hugging with the caption, “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.’ ❤️.”
Bell was seemingly in on the joke and reacted by saying: “And then I got beat up, and guess what — I never opened my mouth again.” Instagram/Kristen Bell
The clip resurfaced after Bell faced backlash for her wedding anniversary post for Shepard that she posted to Instagram. kristenanniebell/Instagram
Instagram users immediately dragged Bell for posting the message in October — which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
“just an fyi, posting this caption during domestic violence awareness month is unbelievably tone deaf :/ please reconsider,” one person commented on the post.
“That’s 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…,” a second critic added.
“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.’ ❤️,” she captioned the post. kristinanniebell/Instagram
Bell was dragged for sharing her words during Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Kristen Bell/Instagram
Page Six exclusively reported that a domestic violence advocacy group also blasted Bell for her insensitivity.
“There’s nothing funny about domestic violence ‘jokes’ that trivialize the very real fear, trauma and pain that millions of victims and survivors face each day,” a rep for the National Network to End Domestic Violence told Page Six in a statement Tuesday.
“Especially during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we all have a responsibility to support victims and survivors, to invest in proven solutions and to speak about this issue with the seriousness it deserves,” the organization concluded.
Several netizens called her post tone-deaf. Getty Images for Go Campaign
A domestic violence advocacy group dubbed her message trivializing. Variety via Getty Images
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Despite some of Bell’s supporters defending her, the “Nobody Wants This” actress limited her Instagram comments amid the heavy criticism.
On Wednesday, Bell skipped her scheduled “Today” show appearance and has yet to address her absence from the interview.
Bell —who posted about doing press for her Netflix show on Instagram Tuesday — was nowhere to be seen during what was supposed to be an interview with her and co-star Justine Lupe on the NBC morning show.
Bell was a no-show on the “Today” show Wednesday amid the fallout. AFP via Getty Images
The couple have been married since 2013. Open Road Films/Courtesy Everett Collection
Reps for Bell and NBC did not return Page Six’s request for comment.
Bell, 45, and Shepard, 50, tied the knot in October 2013 and share two daughters: Lincoln, 12, and Delta, 10.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-7997233 or text BEGIN to 88788.