Days after Dax Shepard faced backlash for his “tone-deaf” anniversary post, a video of Dax Shepard joking about hitting his wife Kristen Bell has resurfaced.
Shepard and Bell were interviewed by SheKnows for the 2012 film “Hit and Run,” when Shepard made a crude joke about hitting her.
In the clip, Bell recalls getting in the car with Shepard after they had spent two years “simmering down.”
“He was so excited. We drove to brunch and five minutes into the ride the first thing he said was, ‘This is going to break,'” Bell said.
Shepard deadpanned, saying, “I was very upset.”
“I punched her a few times after that,” Shepard joked, cheekily adding to Bell.
Afterwards, a reporter told the couple that they had a “very interesting relationship.”
The bizarre exchange comes just days after Bell fell on hard times after sharing a controversial message with Shepard on their 12th wedding anniversary.
The Frozen star shared a photo of herself cuddling up to Shepard on Instagram with the caption, “Happy 12th wedding anniversary to the man who once said to me, ‘I would never kill you. Many men have killed their own wives at some point. Even if I had a strong motive to kill you, I would never.'” ❤️. ”
Instagram users were quick to drag Bell for posting the message during October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
“FYI, posting this caption during Domestic Violence Awareness Month is incredibly tone-deaf :/Think again,” one person commented on the post.
“This is a very sad and insensitive statement considering today is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and thousands of women are losing their lives at the hands of men they trusted…” a second critic added.
Page Six exclusively reported that domestic violence advocacy groups also condemned Bell’s insensitivity.
“There is nothing funny about domestic violence ‘jokes’ that trivialize the very real fear, trauma and pain that millions of victims and survivors face every day,” a representative from 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, invest in proven solutions, and talk about this issue with the seriousness it deserves,” the organization concluded.
The “Nobody Wants This” actress limited her comments on Instagram amid heavy criticism, even though some of Bell’s supporters came to her defense.
On Wednesday, Bell missed a scheduled appearance on the “Today” show, but has yet to address his missed interview.
Bell posted on Instagram on Tuesday about press for her Netflix show, but was not seen during what was supposed to be an interview with her and co-star Justin Lupe on the NBC morning show.
Representatives for Bell and NBC did not respond to Page Six’s requests for comment.
Bell, 45, and Shepherd, 50, married in October 2013 and have two daughters, Lincoln, 12, and Delta, 10.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-7997233 or text “BEGIN” to 88788.
