'Beyond Tone-Deaf': Dax Shepard Slammed For Old Video Joking About Hitting Wife Kristen Bell

A resurfaced 2012 interview in which Dax Shepard joked about 'hitting' wife Kristen Bell has reignited criticism of the couple amid a separate anniversary post controversy.

The clip, filmed while Shepard and Bell were promoting their 2012 film Hit & Run, shows the pair trading dark-edged banter about an argument in a car, with Shepard deadpanning, 'And then I hit her. Several times', and Bell replying with a laugh that she 'never opened my mouth again'.

The short, awkward exchange was recorded on the promotional trail more than a decade ago but has been reposted online this week, arriving at the same time Bell's Instagram anniversary tribute to Shepard prompted widespread condemnation.

Resurfaced Clip Raises Alarm

The interview clip is available on archive video channels and interview playlists tied to Hit & Run's promotion.

In the segment, a reporter visibly shifts uncomfortably as the couple trade jibes that treat physical violence as a punchline, an exchange viewers now say reads very differently in 2025.

News outlets that first reported the resurfaced footage transcribed the crucial exchange and republished the short clip, prompting fresh criticism on social platforms where users said the remarks trivialise domestic violence.

While some defenders described the interaction as private banter and dark humour typical of the couple's public persona, survivors' advocates and many social media users framed the joke as harmful and out of step with contemporary sensitivity to abuse.

Anniversary Post Sparks Backlash

The resurfacing comes days after Bell posted a 12th-wedding-anniversary tribute on Instagram in which she quoted Shepard joking that he 'would never kill you — even though I'm heavily incentivised to kill you'. The caption and accompanying photo led to an immediate backlash, with followers arguing the comments were particularly ill-timed as October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Bell subsequently restricted comments on the post and skipped a scheduled appearance on the Today show, according to reports. People magazine and Entertainment Weekly both documented the post and the swift public reaction.

Celebrities and fans were divided. Some applauded the couple's tendency to mine dark humour from their relationship dynamic, while others said the wording was unacceptable and could be triggering for survivors.

The public debate quickly broadened beyond the two posts to question whether longstanding habits of 'shock' humour among public figures should be reassessed in light of how those jokes land with audiences today.

Why the Timing Matters

October is internationally recognised as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a yearly campaign that highlights the prevalence and impact of abuse and encourages support for survivors.

Advocacy groups and national hotlines use this month to urge the public and public figures to be mindful about language that could minimise or normalise violence. Critics of the Shepard–Bell posts said the couple's jokes — both old and newly shared — were tone-deaf against the backdrop of that campaign.

The incident offers a case study in how archival media can re-emerge and take on new meanings years later, especially where subjects touch on public health and safety issues such as domestic violence. For survivors and those working in advocacy, the debate underlines the continuing need for public education about the language of abuse, and for public figures to reckon with when humour crosses into trivialisation.

'The past doesn't disappear when it's filmed', one commentator observed online, capturing the unease many feel when offhand remarks about harm are reprised in a different cultural moment.