The Fear Dax Shepard Hid Before Falling For Kristen Bell

Fame, family, and fear often make for an advanced love story, and Dax Shepard’s isn’t any exception.

Before he met his wife, Kristen Bell, the actor and podcast host was scuffling with a heartbreak that left him unsure he would ever love again.

In a revealing conversation together with his ex-girlfriend, Shepard opened up in regards to the emotional turmoil that just about stopped him from finding happiness.

Long before Bell entered the image, Shepard was in a nine-year relationship with Briegh Morrison.

Their breakup, while amicable, left him shaken and deeply uncertain about his future in love.

“The breakup was manageable, but for some time I did think well, I’ll never be in love with someone like that again in that way,” Shepard told Morrison throughout the Oct. 21 episode of his “Mom’s Automotive” YouTube series. “I had a deep fear, like, I don’t think I’ll ever feel the best way I felt about Briegh with anybody. I used to be quite terrified of that.”

The Armchair Expert host, now 50, described the post-breakup confusion that clouded his life.

“I felt very disoriented for some time,” he admitted per E! News. “Regardless that we were in an open relationship, I never felt single. What was hugely essential to me from the moment we broke up was, I pray she meets someone she falls in love with.”

Shepard’s words revealed a mixture of affection and loss, an emotional tug-of-war between gratitude for the past and fear of what might never come again.

Despite the pain, Shepard made peace with Morrison’s recent relationship and even rooted for her happiness.

“I just thought of it lots,” he said. “I used to be so hopeful that you just found someone that you just loved lots again. And I just remember being so glad about Brad.”

Morrison, who eventually found love with Marvel executive Brad Winderbaum, returned the identical kindness when Shepard began dating Bell.

She made a conscious effort to respect their recent relationship.

“I definitely felt Kristen I didn’t wish to step on,” Morrison said. “I didn’t wish to step on Kristen’s toes.”

Their mature and compassionate dynamic stands out in Hollywood, a spot where exes rarely stay on such good terms.

While Shepard and Morrison’s friendship remained strong, it took Bell a while to regulate.

Shepard recalled his wife’s honest response to the unconventional bond.

“She had initially was like, ‘This is de facto wild. I’m not friends with any of my exes. I do not hang around with any,’” he shared. “And I’m like, ‘I’m friends with all mine just about.’”

Shepard, who shares two daughters, Lincoln, 12, and Delta, 11, with Bell, has at all times been transparent about his complicated past.

Nonetheless, for Bell, that openness became a cornerstone of their marriage.

Looking back, Shepard sees the parallels between his ex and his wife as a source of comfort and respect.

“Something that you just guys [both] have that I value a lot is I feel you two above another people I’ve ever met, you’ve your opinions and your position, but you are really in a position to hearken to one other perspective and consider it and integrate it,” he said.

He admitted, “Neither of you guys are, like, stuck. You’re very fluid. For me it’s an imperative quality.”

After greater than a decade of marriage to Bell, Shepard’s appreciation for each women shines through.

“I love each of you a lot, and I realize that’s a rare thing to get in a partner, and I such as you a lot,” he added. “You’re just one in all the greats of all time. I’m glad our lives worked out so well.”

From heartbreak to healing, Shepard’s story proves that even deep fear can result in something extraordinary when one is brave enough to like again.

The 45-year-old actress posted a photograph of herself with Shepard to have fun their twelfth wedding anniversary, writing, “Pleased twelfth wedding anniversary to the person who once said to me: ‘I might never kill you. Plenty of men have killed their wives at a certain point. Regardless that I’m heavily incentivized to kill you, I never would.’”

The joke immediately sparked outrage, with critics calling it tone-deaf, particularly since October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

One fan wrote, “That is a wildly sad and insensitive thing to say considering it’s domestic violence awareness month and 1000’s of ladies have died by the hands of the person they trusted.”

Others echoed the sentiment, saying the post wasn’t funny and showed poor judgment.

“Domestic violence isn’t a joke. Domestic violence and violence against women aren’t jokes, Kristen,” one user commented.

One other added, “Bragging about not being murdered by your husband isn’t cute.”

Bell has since disabled comments on the post, however the backlash continues to grow across social media.