Dax Shepard Addressed Marriage Rumors After Family Concerns

The insider said Bell could recognize when stress was building and that the couple spoke privately about the coverage before Shepard responded publicly. Another source told the outlet that Shepard worried about how people viewed him and felt ashamed when criticism spread to Bell as well.

The rumors followed Bell’s account of enjoying the way Shepard compliments people when they go out to dinner. Some listeners interpreted the story as describing him flirting with other women. On “Armchair Expert,” where the original remarks had aired, Shepard addressed that reading and allegations that he was controlling or abusive. He called the claims offensive to Bell and to the example she sets for their daughters, Lincoln and Delta.

A source told the Daily Mail that Shepard could tolerate jokes about the marriage or criticism of how much the couple shares, but found being labeled an abuser harder to ignore. Shepard has spoken publicly about experiencing sexual abuse as a child and about his mother being abused by his first stepfather. He said he had devoted his life to “being the opposite of all that.” The insider said he was also concerned that his daughters might encounter the accusations as they grew older.

Bell has said the couple sought therapy during the first six months of dating and attended sessions frequently in their first and second years because, as she put it, they were both “really stubborn.” She and Shepard have also discussed disagreements on the podcast, which Bell first joined as a guest in 2018. According to the Daily Mail’s source, Bell supported Shepard as the two considered whether he should respond publicly.