Kristen Bell appears on ‘Tonight Show’ after skipping ‘Today’ in wake of Dax Shepard social media controversy



Jimmy Fallon wants this. 

Amid Kristen Bell’s controversy over her Instagram post with her husband, Dax Shepard, the “Nobody Wants This” star skipped a planned appearance on the “Today” show earlier in the week. 

But on Thursday night, she dropped by “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” — where she didn’t address the backlash.

Kristen Bell during an interview with host Jimmy Fallon on October 23, 2025. Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images
Kristen Bell during an interview on “The Tonight Show” on October 23, 2025. Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images

The controversy began on Saturday, when Bell, 45, made a social media post about Shepard, 50, who she’s been married to since 2013. The couple share daughters Lincoln, 12, and Delta, 10. 

The Instagram photo was a photo of Bell and Shepard embracing, with the caption, “Happy 12th wedding anniversary to the man who once said to me: ‘I would never kill you. A lot of men have killed their wives at a certain point. Even though I’m heavily incentivized to kill you, I never would.’”

In the comments section, outraged fans accused the “Good Place” actress of making light of domestic violence — especially since it’s domestic violence awareness month. 

“Just an fyi, posting this caption during domestic violence awareness month is unbelievably tone deaf :/ please reconsider,” one commenter wrote. 

On Tuesday, a domestic violence advocacy group also slammed the “Veronica Mars” alum.

“There’s nothing funny about domestic violence ‘jokes’ that trivialize the very real fear, trauma, and pain that millions of victims and survivors face each day,” a rep for the National Network to End Domestic Violence told Page Six in a statement.

They continued, “Especially during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we all have a responsibility to support victims and survivors, to invest in proven solutions, and to speak about this issue with the seriousness it deserves.”

Kristen Bell’s Instagram post on Saturday that started the backlash. kristenanniebell/Instagram
Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard in an Instagram photo from June 29, 2024. kristenanniebell/Instagram

Neither Bell nor Shepard has publicly addressed the controversy, but on Wednesday morning, Bell was scheduled to appear on the “Today” show along with her “Nobody Wants This” co-star Justine Lupe, according to the NBC show’s schedule.

The “Frozen” actress didn’t show up, and there was no mention of Bell’s whereabouts. 

During Thursday’s appearance on “The Tonight Show,” Bell and Fallon didn’t talk about the now infamous Instagram post or the public outrage. 

Kristen Bell during an interview with host Jimmy Fallon on Thursday, October 23, 2025. Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images

Instead, they discussed an annual trip they usually take with their families and Jimmy Kimmel, how she knits on the set of her Netflix rom-com “Nobody Wants This,” and Halloween costumes.

This year, she said, her family is doing pun mashup costumes, so she will go as ‘Carrie Bradshaw-Shank Redemption,’ combining Sarah Jessica Parker’s “Sex and the City” character with “The Shawshank Redemption.” 

Bell described what she will wear: “So, pink tutu. Spiral the hair. Kind of a jailbird vibe and some boots.”

The “Parenthood” actor, meanwhile, will go as “Fererri-ana Grande,” she explained, combining Ferrari with Ariana Grande.

Adam Brody and Kristen Bell in “Nobody Wants This.” ©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection
Kristen Bell and Adam Brody in “Nobody Wants this.” ©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection

She also talked about Season 2 of “Nobody Wants This,” now streaming, where she plays an agnostic podcaster dating a rabbi (Adam Brody)

The “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” actress described Season 2 as showing her and Brody’s characters after they’ve already fallen in love. 

“They’re like, how do we blend our lives. Do we decide if we should share the same toothbrush?” said Bell. “All these little  tiny decisions you make when you link up with someone and become a ‘we.’” 





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