If you’ve spent more than five minutes on the internet in the last decade, you’ve probably seen them. They are the couple that makes you feel both "relationship goals" and "maybe I should call my therapist" at the same time. Kristen Bell is married to Dax Shepard. It’s a name that carries a lot of weight these days, both literally (she recently joked he’s a "220-lb man") and figuratively in the podcasting world. They’ve been together since 2007, married since 2013, and have basically turned their marriage into a public case study on radical honesty. Honestly, it’s refreshing. Or it’s a lot. Depends on who you ask.
Most people know her as the voice of Anna from Frozen or the delightfully "Arizona trash bag" Eleanor Shellstrop from The Good Place. But in the real world, her partner is the guy who rose to fame on MTV's Punk'd and now runs the massive podcast empire, Armchair Expert.
They aren't your typical polished Hollywood duo. They fight. They talk about it. They go to therapy. They talk about that, too.
The Meet-Cute That Actually Wasn't
Usually, these stories start with "our eyes met across a crowded room and we just knew." Not here. They met at a sushi restaurant in 2007 for a birthday party. Kristen’s take? She thought he talked too much. No sparks. None.
Dax was coming from a very different world—he had been in an open relationship for years and was dealing with the heavy lifting of sobriety. Kristen, the self-proclaimed "serial monogamist," was just trying to navigate the "grossness" of the dating scene. Two weeks later, they ran into each other at a hockey game. Dax asked for the gum she was chewing.
Classic.
Then came the text. Dax basically told her he violated her privacy to get her number and asked how she felt about it. It worked. But it wasn't a straight line to the altar.
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Dax actually broke up with her three months in. He sat her down and told her he was still dating other people. Kristen says she "liquefied" onto the floor. But he came back a few days later, realizing he’d made a massive mistake because no one else was as interesting as her.
The $142 Wedding
Despite being rich and famous, they didn't do the whole "exclusive magazine spread" wedding. They got engaged in 2010 but famously refused to get married until same-sex marriage was legal in California. They felt it was gross to celebrate a right their friends didn't have.
Once DOMA was struck down in 2013, Kristen didn't wait for a fancy proposal. She popped the question on Twitter.
They tied the knot at the Beverly Hills County Clerk's Office. Total cost? About $142. No white dress. No tiered cake. Just a courthouse and some paperwork.
Life as the Shepards in 2026
Fast forward to today, and the conversation around who actress Kristen Bell is married to has shifted from "those cute actors" to "the most honest couple in Hollywood." They have two daughters, Lincoln and Delta.
The kids are a huge part of their identity, even though they are fiercely private about showing their faces. You’ll see them on Instagram with emojis over their heads.
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Recently, Dax sparked a massive internet debate (as he does) by mentioning on his podcast that he offered to pay for his 11-year-old daughter Delta to freeze her eggs when she turns 18. Why? Because she said she wants to be a mom but he wants her to have freedom for her career first. Some people called it "weird," others called it "forward-thinking." That’s just the Dax Shepard experience.
Why People are Divided
They are the kings of TMI. Remember the "we don't wash our kids every day" controversy? Or the time they admitted to being at each other's throats during the 2020 lockdowns?
Even legends like Cher have weighed in. In January 2026, Cher appeared on Armchair Expert and jokingly (mostly) told Dax that Kristen "deserves better." Dax took it in stride, even joking about it at the 2026 Golden Globes, where his podcast was nominated.
The Hard Work of Staying Married
What’s actually impressive—if you can get past the oversharing—is their commitment to the "work." Dax has been very open about his 2020 relapse after 16 years of sobriety. Kristen stood by him, but she didn't sugarcoat it. They went back to therapy.
They use a technique now where, if they're about to fight, one of them will say, "I feel like 8-year-old Dax right now" or "I feel like 8-year-old Kristen." It helps them see the person behind the trigger. It’s kinda brilliant, honestly.
They’ve co-starred in plenty of stuff too:
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- When in Rome
- Hit and Run
- CHiPs
- Countless commercials for their plant-based baby brand, Hello Bello.
They’ve built a business out of their domestic life. It’s a brand. It’s a marriage. It’s a public therapy session.
What You Can Take Away
Look, whether you find them "relatable" or "insufferable," there is a lesson in how Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard handle their business. They don't pretend it's easy.
If you're looking for a marriage like theirs, you've gotta be okay with:
- Extreme Vulnerability: Being willing to look like the "bad guy" sometimes.
- Growth Addiction: Dax says he’s addicted to evolving. If one person changes and the other doesn't, the marriage is toast.
- Opposites Attract: Kristen is the optimistic "Good Place" girl; Dax is the cynical, anthropology-loving "Armchair Expert." They balance each other out by respecting those differences rather than trying to fix them.
To keep up with their latest, you’re best off listening to Dax’s podcast Armchair Expert, where Kristen is a frequent guest and "supervisor." Or just keep an eye on Kristen’s Instagram, where she’ll likely post a blurry photo of a garden party with a caption about how much they still like each other after 12 years of marriage.
Actionable Insight: If you're struggling with "perfect" social media expectations, follow a couple like Bell and Shepard who deliberately break that mold. It might make your own "messy" relationship feel a lot more normal.