Kristen Bell Honors Dax Shepard’s Sobriety with Heartwarming Photos
Kristen Bell is marking Dax Shepard’s incredible 21-year journey to sobriety by posting heartwarming photos of him with their children.
On Thursday, September 4, Bell, 45, shared a heartfelt tribute to her husband of almost 12 years via Instagram, expressing gratitude for his decision to “get sober.”
“Here’s what 21 years of sobriety looks like,” she captioned a collection of images showing Shepard with their daughters, Lincoln, 12, and Delta, 10. “There’s a lot of hugging. Hugging everyone and everything. Hugging life. Thank you for your sobriety, @daxshepard. I am eternally thankful to have you. We all are 💕.”
The images display the 50-year-old Shepard embracing his daughters and sharing affectionate moments with Bell, his partner since 2007.
Shepard humorously responded in the comments: “Well this is a low blow. Even for you. Makin’ a guy cry when he can’t turn to booze?!?!”
Both friends and fellow celebrities offered their support by leaving congratulatory messages for Shepard.
“That’s the stuff… the good stuff, the best stuff,” commented Walton Goggins, while Cheyenne Jackson added, “Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes.”
Shepard has been transparent about his struggles with addiction and his path to sobriety. Though he has been sober since September 2004, he revealed on the September 25, 2020, episode of his podcast, “Armchair Expert,” that he relapsed due to painkillers after an accident, stating that he was just seven days into sobriety at that time.
“The last thing I wanted to do was go public, seven days after everything unraveled, and share that with others. But it felt dishonest not to,” Shepard explained to Jesse Tyler Ferguson during his discussion on the “Dinner’s On Me” podcast in 2024. “The connection with the audience feels like a huge responsibility to those who have listened for years.”
Shepard also expressed concern regarding how his struggles would affect Bell.
“I don’t want her to have to deal with every interview revolving around ‘What’s it like being married to an addict?’ It doesn’t seem fair to her,” he stated.
Ultimately, he chose to share his experiences after a conversation with strong friend Bradley Cooper, who encouraged him to speak out.
“He said, ‘Nothing is useful about a guy who’s 16 years sober, married to Kristen Bell, and rich. What’s beneficial is someone who has faced hardships and perseveres,’” Shepard reflected on Cooper’s advice. “And I thought, ‘Wow.’ If I genuinely want to help others, I have no choice but to be honest,” he joked with Ferguson, adding, “So, I’ll give him credit. He deserves it. Plus, he’s so good-looking; it would be easier if he weren’t.”
Cooper has remained supportive of Shepard over the years and has made an appearance on “Armchair Expert” to discuss his own sobriety journey.
“As I began reevaluating my life’s foundation and approaching it with a more critical eye toward honesty and reflecting on true memories, I found that I became more present in my life,” Cooper shared with Shepard in 2024. “I no longer need things to fill any void I felt. Suddenly, I’m more willing to be expressive, creative, present, giving, and setting boundaries.”
