'Domestic violence isn't a joke': Kristen Bell slammed for 'tone-deaf' anniversary post

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Actress Kristen Bell is facing backlash for a recent anniversary post dedicated to her husband, Dax Shepard.

In the Instagram post, she recalled the words Shepard once recited to her, but many followers found the message inappropriate, accusing her of joking about domestic violence. The controversy highlights the challenges celebrities face in balancing personal expression with public sensitivities. 

Kristen Bell's controversial post

For her anniversary with husband Dax Shepard, a three-sentence message shared by Kristen Bell was met with criticism from online critics, accusing her of joking about domestic abuse.

On Saturday, October 18, Bell shared a picture on Instagram, with her arms wrapped around her husband, who is the 'Armchair Expert' podcast host. 

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.'"

Kristen Bell criticized for post on a sensitive topic

This was met with criticism from many who accused the mother of two of minimizing a sensitive subject.

"1. Congratulations! 2. I know the caption is supposed to be cute, funny, but worldwide a women is killed every ten minutes by their partner," one user wrote and added the hashtag, "#stopviolenceagainstwomen."

"Domestic violence isn’t a joke," another user commented, while one follower asked, "Is this... supposed to be funny?"

"Crazy thing to joke about honestly. Sincerely, someone who thankfully survived," an Instagram user noted. "This is tone deaf and offensive during any month," one fan wrote.

Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard's relationship journey

Shepard and Bell first met at a dinner party for a mutual friend in 2007. A few weeks later, the two ran into each other at a hockey game. The two began dating in 2007 and announced their engagement in January 2010. 

Bell recalled their first meeting, when Shepard texted her saying, "I violated your privacy and got your number from Shauna. How do you feel about that?"

"I was, like, OK, starting it off with a really good joke that makes me feel, like, butterflies. I fell in love with him way before he fell in love with me," Bell said. 

They got married in 2013 and have two daughters, Lincoln and Delta.