Kristen Bell Breaks Cover In Mournful All-Black Look After Backlash

Kristen Bell has emerged from the shadows and is ready to face the world again.  

The actress went AWOL following the heavy backlash she received for her controversial anniversary message to her husband, Dax Shepard. 

Bell joked that her husband would never “kill” her, and fans slammed her for making “insensitive” jokes during Domestic Violence Awareness month. 

Bell made her first public appearance since receiving backlash for her anniversary post. She was part of the lineup of stars who graced the red carpet at New York City’s 92nd Street Y on Wednesday night. 

The 45-year-old actress wore an all-black ensemble, including wide-legged black palazzo pants and a black top with a floral design. She paired the look with a chic beret and a black leather coat, finishing it with minimalistic jewelry, including a gold necklace and rings. 

According to Page Six, Bell posed alongside her cast members for a panel discussion and screening of the second season of “Nobody Wants This.” She was joined by “Happy Sad Confused” podcast host Josh Horowitz and her co-star Adam Brody.

Bell’s red carpet appearance marks her first since she shared a post on Instagram celebrating her 12th wedding anniversary with Shepard.  The “Gossip Girl” star’s anniversary post featured a picture of her and her husband looking cozy together, with a message that read:

“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 [red heart emoji].’”

Bell’s post was met with heavy criticism from fans who argued that she was trivializing a serious issue with her message. 

One fan wrote, “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.”

And another added, “Domestic violence isn’t a joke. Domestic violence and violence against women aren’t jokes, Kristen,” per The Blast.

One person sarcastically wished her a happy anniversary and pointed out that “bragging about not being murdered by your husband isn’t cute.” 

This fan wrote that the actress’s post was a “sad reflection” on how low the bar is and slammed her for disabling comments in an attempt to “dodge the heat” rather than reflecting on what she said.

Bell not only disabled comments on her anniversary post but also opted out of an interview she was scheduled to appear on the “Today” show. 

According to The Blast, the Emmy Award winner was set to make an appearance on the show alongside Justine Lupe, her co-star on “Nobody Wants This.” However, she was absent. 

The show still went on as scheduled, with Lupe making the appearance solo. The 36-year-old actress chatted with the host about several topics, including her love of pranks.  Notably, she said nothing about the drama surrounding Bell’s controversial post.

The backlash surrounding Bell came amid a string of appearances and promotions for the newest season of “Nobody Wants This.” 

A day before all hell broke loose, the actress made a red carpet appearance during which she was interviewed by a reporter. The reporter brought up the topic of Bell’s wedding anniversary, saying, “Tomorrow Friday is…?” 

Bell, temporarily forgetting that it was her wedding anniversary, said, “What is it? The 17th…the Wrexham Charity Gala?” 

It wasn’t until a few seconds later that she realized it was her anniversary. “Oh my God, it’s my anniversary! You know, I never remember that. I’m so glad you told me!” she exclaimed.

The mother of two laughed it off and admitted that both she and her husband are “just not great with dates.” 

Shepard and Bell share a lot in common and have come a long way in their 12-year marriage. 

Just a few days ago, the 50-year-old actor reflected on his relationship with Bell, pointing out that he met her after struggling to get over his previous relationship. 

Before meeting Bell, Shepard was in a nine-year relationship with Briegh Morrison. When their relationship ended, the American actor was left feeling unsure that he would ever “be in love with someone like that again in that way,” per The Blast.

However, things turned around when Shepard met Bell, and he was able to move on and even make peace with Morrison’s new relationship.