Kristen Bell‘s post, quoting her husband, Dax Shepard, saying he would “never kill” her, continues to spark outrage from domestic violence advocates who called it tone-deaf and insensitive.
Now, experts have chimed in on the continuing controversy, saying that such remarks trivialize abuse and silence survivors.
Advocacy leaders are actually urging Kristen Bell to apologize, support domestic violence shelters, and lift awareness, as her silence may very well be damaging to her image and profession.
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Kristen Bell Has Yet To Address Her ‘Dark Humor’ Post, PR Expert Says Her Silence Is ‘Brutally Ugly’
Bell has yet to issue a public response or remove her now-controversial anniversary post. She also skipped her scheduled appearance on the “Today” show on Wednesday, further fueling speculation concerning the backlash’s effect on her image.
Crisis management expert Eric Schiffer has now advised Bell to “drop the dark humor” and take immediate accountability.
“Silence here reads brutally ugly. Kristen must own it, then move forward. Let people know she trivialized abuse and apologize,” he told the Each day Mail. “I’d also tie the apology to a donation link and hotline info and let motion carry the headline.”
Addressing Bell’s responsibility as a public figure, Schiffer added that remaining silent “reads like ugly contempt.”
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Publicist Alexandria Hurley also described the post as “completely off-brand” for Bell, whose public persona is built around optimism and relatability.
“She needs to deal with it, clearly and quickly,” Hurley advised. “Silence in a situation like this reads as indifference. A simple apology acknowledging poor judgment and reaffirming support for survivors would go a great distance.”
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The Actress’s Post Was Slammed As ‘Tone-Deaf’ And ‘Insensitive’ By DV Advocates
Bell’s silence amid the continuing backlash over her social media post seems only so as to add fire to the difficulty, as more domestic violence advocates blast the actress for sharing the controversial anniversary post, quoting her husband joking that he was “heavily incentivized to kill” her.
“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. Though I’m heavily incentivized to kill you, I never would,” Bell wrote within the now-viral post.
The remark was met with outrage from survivors and advocacy organizations, who labeled it “tone-deaf” and “insensitive,” especially during Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Because the controversy grows, experts warn that even jokes about domestic abuse could cause lasting harm.
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Dale Margolin Cecka, Director of the Family Violence Litigation Clinic at Albany Law School, told The Each day Mail that Bell’s post risks the trivialization of “abuse” and “silences survivors.”
“Even when framed as humor, comments about domestic violence normalize abuse and silence survivors,” she explained. “DV just isn’t a punchline — it is a pervasive, life-altering issue.”
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Expert Says Kristen Bell’s ‘Joke’ Highlights How Casual Remarks Can Reignite Trauma For Survivors
Cecka explained that many survivors live with lasting trauma that may easily be triggered by seemingly harmless or joking remarks, especially when those comments come from well-known public figures.
“What might seem to be a joke to at least one person can feel like a dismissal or minimization of real suffering to a different,” she said.
Highlighting the broader impact, the expert identified that almost one in three women killed within the U.S. dies by the hands of a partner.
“Headlines are rife with stories of girls killed by their partners. This is way from an informal joke,” she stressed.
She added that “when high-profile individuals downplay intimate partner violence, it sends a signal that fame or influence allows someone to avoid the social and legal consequences of abuse.”
The Actress’s Post Shows Her Lack of ‘Understanding’ For Real Victims of Abuse, Expert Claims
Cecka, the Director of the Family Violence Litigation Clinic at Albany Law School, noted that despite the seriousness of Bell’s remarks, the actress can still turn the controversy right into a moment of reflection and advocacy.
“This just isn’t about Kristen Bell — she’s only one person, making what she thought was a silly joke,” the expert explained. “But you would not joke about giving your husband cancer.”
She added, “So this joke speaks to a bigger lack of information of or appreciation of the true victims behind domestic violence.”
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Expert Claims Kristen Bell’s Post Could Make Victims Less ‘Incentivized’ To Escape Their Abusers
Cecka suggested Bell could make amends by supporting domestic violence shelters, lots of that are scuffling with funding cuts.
“She could use the chance to bring attention to the true numbers — the ladies who’re killed yearly by intimate partners,” she suggested.
The expert also emphasized that the backlash is justified, noting it’s shocking coming from “a lady who would consider herself as progressive or a feminist.”
Danielle Pollack, Policy Manager on the National Family Violence Law Center at GW Law, echoed those concerns, noting that while dark humor will be used to reduce the “seriousness of domestic abuse,” such comments may also “undermine the gravity of those issues and the way DV is handled.”
Pollack warned that when survivors see influential figures make light of abuse, it sends the improper message and may make them “less incentivized to flee their abuser.”