Dax Shepard Reacts to Claims His, Kristen Bell’s Marriage Is “Abusive”

“I think she phrased it in a way that got intentionally, easily confused for people because we’re saying I flirt with Kristen by tipping people a lot and I flirt with Kristen by complimenting people,” Shepard said, “If you think I’m complimenting hot young waitresses, you got a problem.”

“I’m finding the dude that I don’t think has had a compliment in a while and tell him I love his shoes,” he clarified. “It’s always somebody that I want to make their day. So those compliments are flirting with Kristen. But it got to be, when it went through the grinder, that I flirt with people in front of Kristen.”

The podcast host also shut down speculations that he abuses his wife or their kids.

“For me, growing up around certain men who behaved a certain way, and then literally dedicating my whole life to being the opposite of all that,” he shared, “I don’t ever yell at my children. I don’t swear at them. I don’t yell at my wife. To have given it my all to be the opposite of what, now, some group of people is saying I am is hard.”

“I find it deeply insulting to my wife, additionally,” Shepard continued. “She’s what? She’s sitting in a house with her two daughters and modeling some abusive relationship? It’s very offensive to her.”

Bell explained during the previous episode that she feels her husband is flirting with her by complimenting others and making them feel good. 

“If we go to a dinner or something, there’s a couple things Dax does where he doesn’t have to look up and wink at me, but I know that he’s just being the best boy,” she recalled. “We’ll be at dinner and he’ll say to the waiter, waitress, he’ll go, ‘Wow, you have incredible eyelashes, gorgeous eyes, great job.'”

The Frozen star’s heart totally melts when Shepard “actively smiles at people and gives them compliments.”

As Bell and Shepard try their best to tune out the critics, keep reading for a look back at their sweet romance.