A look back at Dax Shepard and his wife, Kristen Bell's relationship over the years, amid Cher claiming that Kristen 'deserves better' on the 'Armchair Expert' podcast.
Dax Shepard is a renowned American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He rose to fame back in 2003 after appearing on Punk'd, a Candid Camera-type show which was hosted by Ashton Kutcher. Since then, his career took off, finally landing his first main character role in the 2006 film, Let's Go To Prison, where he starred alongside Will Arnett and Chi McBride. His other notable works include Baby Mama, Get 'Em Wet, Brother's Justice, When In Rome, and Parenthood. Years later, in 2018, Dax slightly shifted his focus from acting by launching his own podcast, Armchair Expert, with co-host, Monica Padman.
If you have been following his podcast closely, you might know that a slew of celebrity guests have appeared on the show, including Bill Gates, Barack Obama, Will Ferrell, Ashton Kutcher, and Julia Louis-Drefus, among others. Now, on the Armchair Expert's most recent episode, singer, Cher appeared as a guest and took a dig at Dax, claiming that he is "lucky" because Kristen Bell, his wife, "is definitely the better half" in their relationship. For the unversed, Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell are one of Hollywood's longest-term couples. If you are interested in knowing more about their relationship, from how they met to when they tied the knot, keep on reading!
Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell met for the first time at a dinner party in 2007. The party in question was to celebrate the birthday of Shauna Robertson. She was the producer of the 2008 film, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, starring Kristen. While this was Kristen's breakout role, Dax was also a newcomer in the industry who had only just shot to fame with the MTV series, Punk'd. Years later, Kristen recalled their first meeting, saying that although she didn't recognise him at the time, she thought to herself that “this guy can ta-alk.”
Two weeks after their initial meeting, Dax and Kristen came face-to-face once again during a Detroit Red Wings hockey game. Both being natives of Michigan, they quickly bonded over their shared home state. Dax clearly enjoyed his brief interaction with The People We Hate At The Wedding star, which led him to get her number from Shauna Robertson on the very next day. His opening text, which left quite a strong impression on Kristen, read, “I violated your privacy and got your number from Shauna. How do you feel about that?” Talking about the same, Kristen said:
"I was, like, okay, 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.”
Although we do not know the exact time Dax and Kristen started dating, the actress revealed that she knew she was in it for the long haul after dating Dax for just 3 months. She also shared in a later interview that while she was head over heels in love, her feelings weren't exactly reciprocated by Dax. In fact, the couple weren't exclusive at all since Dax was still seeing other people. To mention, he had just come out of a nine-year open relationship. At the time, Kristen recalled that Dax sat her down and explained why he was not ready to be in a relationship with her alone. However, it only took him four days to realise his mistake, and soon the couple was back together.
In 2009, Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell had the opportunity to work together for the first time. It was for the film, When in Rome, which starred Kristen in the role of ‘Beth’, an unlucky-in-love New Yorker on a holiday in Rome, and Dax as one of the men trying to woo her. Soon after the shooting wrapped up, Dax proposed to Kristen.
In November 2012, a representative for the star duo confirmed that Kristen was pregnant with the couple's first child. Apparently, both of them were super excited and “can't wait to become parents”. On March 28, 2013, the duo welcomed their first child together, a daughter named Lincoln Bell Shepard.
On October 17, 2013, the same year that their daughter was born, Dax and Kristen tied the knot in a private ceremony at the Beverly Hills courthouse. Explaining why they decided to keep their wedding on the down low, Kristen told People:
"We get more than enough attention in our everyday lives. I also wear more than enough party dresses.”
In June 2014, Dax and Kristen announced that they were expecting their second child. A representative at the time revealed that “the whole family is beyond excited.” Finally, after months of waiting, they grew from a family of three to four on December 19, 2014. Dax took to his official X (formerly Twitter) account to share the joyous news with their fans, writing:
"Delta Bell Shepard is here. She doesn't look like either Kristen or me, but we're gonna keep her anyway.”
Over the years, Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell's relationship has continued to grow stronger as they juggle family life with their careers. In 2025, Kristen revealed the key to their successful marriage is their “foundational trust.”
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