Kristen Bell's anniversary message draws criticism for tone-deaf humour

Kristen Bell decided to celebrate her 12th wedding anniversary by… oversharing in the most baffling way possible.

The actress, 45, has been married to fellow actor Dax Shepard, 50, since their low-key courthouse wedding in 2013.

And while the two are known for being quirky online, this time the internet wasn’t laughing or clapping.

Over the years, the couple has gained a reputation for oversharing, often making headlines for controversial reasons.

There was the time Bell publicly spoke about reading Shepard’s private journal without his consent, and another instance where they joked about their kids drinking non-alcoholic beer at breakfast.

They’ve also made waves by sharing intimate details about their sex life and household arguments in interviews and podcasts. So, when this anniversary post surfaced, many felt it was just another example of them missing the mark.

She posted a photo to her 15.8 million followers of the two of them sitting on the edge of a bed, wrapped around each other like a promo for emotional intimacy coaching.

Shepard is looking at something (not the camera), Bell’s face is turned away - dramatic lighting, deep embrace, the whole “we’re celebrities but also just like you” aesthetic.

Then came the caption. It started sweet: “Happy 12th wedding anniversary to the man who once said to me…”

And then she quoted him: “I would never kill you. A lot of men have killed their wives at a certain point. Even though I’m heavily incentivised to kill you, I never would.”

Now, maybe that was meant to be a joke. Maybe sarcasm. Maybe he was trying to be darkly funny. But the internet? Oh, it had thoughts.

It doesn't help them any that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month in America. So referencing men who have murdered their wives” - even jokingly - landed like a lead balloon.

Many felt it was tone-deaf, insensitive and unnecessary.

People are actively talking about intimate partner abuse, femicide, and the very real reality of women being killed by spouses or partners. So quoting your husband joking about not murdering you? It reads less like humour and more like, “Did no one think this through?”

Many felt the language trivialised something painfully real for thousands of people.  But you can almost hear the energy behind the post: “Relax, it’s just a joke. People are too sensitive.”

People made comments such as: “That’s a wildly sad and insensitive thing to say considering it’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month and thousands of women have died at the hands of the man they trusted."

Another added, “1. Congratulations! 2. I know the caption is supposed to be cute, funny, but worldwide a woman is killed every ten minutes by their partner… #stopviolenceagainstwomen.”

“That’s… a very weird thing to say,” wrote another.