Kristen Bell forgot her and Dax Shepard’s wedding anniversary the day before they celebrated in what critics called a “tone-deaf” post.
In a red carpet interview for “Entertainment Tonight” filmed last Thursday, a reporter told Bell, “Tomorrow, Friday…”
Confused, she replied, “Is it the start of the weekend?”
The reporter laughed and emitted a “gunshot”, causing a still confused Bell to ask, “What is that?”
“October 17th…” the reporter said slowly, to which Bell replied, “…is…”
When she learned the date, she exclaimed, “Oh my god! It’s my anniversary!”
Bell, 45, went on to explain, “You know I don’t remember that. Oh, shoot me. I’m so glad you told me.”
The moment brought back memories for her, and she said she was actually “scheduled to go on a date tomorrow” with the actor, whom she married in 2013.
“Wow, what a curveball he threw me,” she later admitted. “It’s a good thing he doesn’t remember either. Besides, no one’s bad here, right? We’re not very good at dating.”
Over the weekend, the actress took to Instagram to share a sweet photo of herself giving Shepard, 50, a big bear hug while the two sat in bed.
“Happy 12th wedding anniversary to the man who once said to me, ‘I will never kill you. Many men have killed their wives at some point. I have a strong motive to kill you, but I will never.’ ❤️,” she captioned the snap.
The “incredibly tone-deaf” and “insensitive” sentiment angered many commenters, with some pointing out that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Others reminded Bell that spousal abuse is “no joke” or something to be taken lightly.
Many called the message “bizarre” and “disturbing,” with one fan even saying it “questioned[Bell]as a person.”
One person wondered: “How can a woman with any self-respect be with a man who makes such ‘jokes’? I’m not a very serious person, and if I did that, I’d break up with him dizzyingly quickly.”
However, a few supporters defended the star, calling her critics “too sensitive.”
A representative for Bell, who shares daughters Lincoln, 12, and Delta, 10, with Shepherd, did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.
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.
