Why Dax Shepard initially refused to marry Kristen Bell — and what changed

See more of our coverage in your search results. Dax Shepard initially refused to tie the knot with Kristen Bell because he didn’t believe in marriage. The longtime couple recalled their engagement and the comedian’s hesitancy to propose during Monday’s episode of his “Armchair Expert” podcast. “You told me you didn’t believe in marriage,” the “Nobody Wants This” actress told Shepard. “You told me why. I didn’t think there would ever be an answer because I was like, ‘I kind of like that tradition.’” Dax Shepard (pictured here) initially refused to tie the knot with Kristen Bell because he didn’t believe in marriage. Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard “You told me you didn’t believe in marriage,” Bell (pictured with Justin Lupe Monday) recalled of Shepard on his podcast. “You told me why.” Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard Per Bell, Shepard reasoned at the time, “A piece of paper filed at a courthouse somewhere in California is not going to dictate how I treat you. It’s just not. So I’m going to treat you well and act like your partner for the rest of your life, but it has nothing to do with that piece of paper.” Despite being more “traditional,” she admitted that, at the time, the “Parenthood” actor made a “pretty decent point.” “I was like, ‘OK well, he treats me like his wife, so who cares?'” Shepard, 51, added, “There was some anarchist point of view of like I don’t have to ask the state of California if we can be together and then ask them if we cannot be together.” Bell recalled her now-husband (pictured in 2022) telling her, “A piece of paper filed at a courthouse somewhere in California is not going to dictate how I treat you.” kristenanniebell/Instagram Despite Bell (pictured with her husband in October 2025) being more “traditional,” she accepted and respected Shepard’s reasoning. kristenanniebell/Instagram The podcast host also noted he had a negative perception of marriage since he and the “Veronica Mars” actress both come from broken homes. However, after the couple spent a “beautiful Christmas Eve” with his family, Shepard decided to pop the question. “We were in bed that night, and you were kind of expressing gratitude for this little family we were making,” he recalled. The “Hit and Run” actor had bought a ring and was going to surprise Bell, 46, with a proposal at her favorite restaurant a month later, but that moment felt too perfect. Shepard (pictured in January), however, changed his mind and popped the question after spending Christmas Even with Bell and his family. daxshepard/Instagram “We were in bed that night, and you were kind of expressing gratitude for this little family we were making,” the actor (pictured in 2024) recalled. kristenanniebell/Instagram “And I was like, ‘Oh, this is the moment I’m going to try to recreate in a month at Stanley’s over a salad, but it’s happening.’ I was like, ‘F–k it, I’m just gonna go get the ring now.’” Shepard then recalled going to their bedroom closet and rummaging through a jacket pocket to find the engagement ring. In that moment, Bell suspected a marriage proposal was about to happen. “She’s already crying by the time I got back to the bed,” Shepard said with a laugh. “He got down on one knee, and he said, ‘Will you marry me?’ And then I started sobbing really, really hard because that was very overwhelming of something I didn’t think was coming,” the “Good Place” actress recounted. Once he asked Bell (pictured with Shepard in January) to marry her, she broke down in tears because she thought the moment would never come. Getty Images for Vanity Fair The couple tied the knot in 2013 and welcomed two daughters, Lincoln and Delta (seen above). kristenanniebell/Instagram Want more celebrity and pop culture news? Start your day with Page Six Daily. Thanks for signing up! The pair began dating in 2007 and announced their engagement in 2010. Bell and Shepard welcomed daughter Lincoln in March 2013, seven months before they tied the knot at the Beverly Hills County Clerk’s Office. They welcomed their second daughter, Delta, in December 2014. The pair (pictured in June), who do not have a prenup, have been very candid about their marriage struggles. Billboard via Getty Images The “Nobody Wants This” star (pictured with Shepard last year) admitted she cries “weekly” due to the pressures of marriage and children. Getty Images The couple has been very candid about their relationship over the years, including going to couples therapy since the beginning and not having a prenup. Earlier this month, Bell admitted she cries “weekly” while navigating the challenges of marriage and parenting. “It’s hard,” she told Bustle. “Do not think because I am on your television that it is easy for me.” Community Guidelines Welcome to the Page Six Community! Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas in a safe space. 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