Dax Shepard Says Kids Were ‘Mad’ at Kristen Bell for Movie Split

Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell’s love story could easily be mistaken for a Hollywood fairytale — but their daughters aren’t fans of every aspect of their journey.

Shepard, 50, and Bell, 45, revealed that their daughters, Lincoln, 12, and Delta, 10, had thoughts about their relationship after watching 2012’s Hit and Run, now streaming on Netflix.

“Our kids rarely show interest in us. But they did want to see this movie we made, because we’re very much in love,” Shepard recalled during a joint appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday, November 25. “We’re childless and we had nothing to do but love each other.”

Shepard revealed that their girls “loved it” because they liked seeing their parents “in love and kinda young.”

Bell noted there was one portion of the film — which Shepard wrote about their love story — that didn’t sit well with their kids: The breakup.

“Dax kinda wrote it about our love story. Different details. But tells the story about how we started trusting each other,” Bell told host Jimmy Kimmel, confirming their kids “did not like the break up” scene.

“They were very upset,” Shepard added. “And what made me happy is they were mad at mom, not me.”

The Parenthood alum joked, “They thought mom was a bitch. They thought dad was a good boy with a bad past and she should be able to overlook that and I agree.” (Shepard has been open about his struggles with sobriety, revealing in 2020 he had fallen off the wagon.)

Shepard and Bell began dating in 2007, but after three months they split after admitting to wanting different things.

“I already knew that I was in love with him and he was hesitant because he knew he was still dating other people,” Bell recalled to PopSugar in August 2017 of their brief separation. “He sat me down and said, ‘I can’t have this right now. I think you’re wonderful, but I am still dating other people.’ And then I, like, liquefied and fell to the ground, but I felt incredibly respected that he had the balls to tell me we weren’t in the same place.”

Shepard quickly realized he’d made a mistake and called Bell four days later to fix it.

“He called me and he was like, ‘I don’t know what I was thinking. I was dating someone else but they’re just not as interesting as you, and I don’t know what I’m doing,’ and he came back,” Bell remembered. “But I still always remind him of when he broke up with me.”

Bell and Shepard rekindled their romance in 2007 and got married in 2013. They welcomed their first daughter, Lincoln, in March 2013, followed by daughter Delta in December 2014.

Throughout their marriage, Bell and Shepard have been honest with each other and their children, including the realities of Shepard’s sobriety struggles.

In September 2020, Shepard shared that after 16-years of being sober he relapsed and was taking Vicodin. He pointed to a recent motorcycle accident as the catalyst for the relapse, but vowed at the time that he was back on track and seven days clean.

“He is actually doing really great,” Bell shared on an October 2020 episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, confirming she had her husband’s back. “I mean, look, everybody is up against their own demons — sometimes it’s anxiety and depression, sometimes it’s substance abuse.”

The Frozen star explained, “The thing I love most about Dax is that he was able to tell me and tell us and say, ‘We need a different plan.’”

Bell said, “Like, we have a plan. If he has to take medication for any reason, I have to administer it. But he was like, ‘So, we need a stronger plan. I was faltering, and I have to do some sort of emotional work to figure out why I wanted to use again.’”

Bell noted that Shepard’s love for her and their daughters played into his decision to speak out and refocus on his health journey so publicly.

“He was like, ‘I don’t want to risk this family, and I did, so let’s put new things in place to make sure it doesn’t happen again,’” she recalled. “We’re going back to therapy. … And I will continue to stand by him because he’s very, very worth it.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).