Kristen Bell gave Dax Shepard her chewed gum the second time they met, which is fitting

kristendaxparade
Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard are promoting their Walmart baby line, Hello Bello. They’re giving The Honest Company a run for their money, which is a good thing. I welcome their shameless hustling and too-personal stories. In a cover interview with Parade, they revealed how they met and how they next ran into each other at a Red Wings hockey game (they’re both from Michigan). They also talked about the ways they’re different and what they have in common. Some of the stories we’ve heard before, like how Dax doesn’t trust anyone and Kristen is pollyannaish about people, but they have enough new anecdotes to give us something to talk about while providing context. They’re pros at this and are skilled at creating content for us.

How they met and ran into each other again
It wasn’t exactly love at first sight for Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard when they met at a mutual friend’s birthday dinner in 2007.

“Neither of us was bowled over,” says Shepard, 44, revealing that they were both in the midst of breakups. But two weeks later, they bumped into each other at a hockey game, where both Michigan natives were cheering on their beloved Detroit Red Wings against the Los Angeles Kings.

Bell jokes that her interest was piqued when Shepard asked if she had any chewing gum. She said, “Just this,” and removed the piece she was chewing. He took it, ripped it in two and popped half into his mouth. “I was like, ‘Oh, these signals are clear!’” she recalls. Several days later, Shepard tracked down her number, and they’ve been together ever since.

On how long they’ve been together
“We’ve been together 11 and a half years. We’re much prouder of that than marriage,” says Shepard, who reveals that his favorite thing about his wife is her thoughtful nature. “She’s regularly going out of her way to anticipate some need you might have that maybe you didn’t even recognize.”

Both acknowledge that their relationship takes work. “This isn’t a special fairytale,” she says. “This is two people who worked really hard and it’s attainable for you if you work really hard in your marriage too,” adds Shepard.

Their house is a mess
“We’re behind on laundry, our house is a mess, there’s dog hair that we’re trying to constantly Swiffer,” says Bell, who discloses that things got even wilder when their children entered the picture.

“They leave stuff everywhere! It’s like they booby-trap the house and sometimes they actually do booby-trap the house,” she says, noting that she once found pieces of gum taped to the seat of a chair. “Our oldest builds forts and a good half the week all the couch cushions are off. No one can sit on the couch and the only thing that’s exposed are crumbs!”

On how they divide the household chores
Bell does the majority of the housework and is completely OK with that. “I don’t have this secret feminist inside me that wishes he would cook four nights a week. I want him out of my kitchen!” she jokes. Shepard keeps the cars running, gets the Christmas lights up the day after Halloween and is a mean dishwasher. He’s banned from putting them away, however, as Bell teasingly suggests he often complicates her system.

[From Parade]

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with Kristen doing most of the housework and using her own systems. I can relate to that as have specific ways I put things away and keep them clean. It sounds like they have a regime that works for them. There wouldn’t be any shame in hiring a housekeeper though.

Why doesn’t it surprise me that Kristen gave Dax half her gum the second time they met? I don’t think I’ve ever done that in my adult life and find it rather gross. If I call it a metaphor for their relationship I doubt they’d disagree. They posed for Parade with gum in their mouths and that’s the story they told about meeting each other. They overshare with each other and with the public, that’s their brand. I still don’t think relationships should be that much work, but I’m divorced so what do I know. The more I hear from them the more I think they’re perfect for each other.

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@kristenanniebell and @daxshepard are going to burst your bubble tomorrow! Check back here in the AM for an EXCLUSIVE interview with the power couple where they dish on how they met, their latest adventure and everything in between. (Jeff Lipsky) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #kristenbell #daxshepard #married #marriage #actor #actress #celebrity #thegoodplace #theranch #powercouple #hollywood #family #nbc #netflix #hellobello #walmart #love #goals #couplegoals #goodbyebadstuff #amazonprime #tv #tvshow #series #movie #movies #interview #coverstory #exclusive

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Also Kristen got a haircut. I’m not sure if I like it.

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13 Responses to “Kristen Bell gave Dax Shepard her chewed gum the second time they met, which is fitting”

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  1. Lala11_7 says:

    To me…chemistry shouldn’t be that much work…and chemistry is vital for a relationship…and I saw the chemistry between those two years ago…even before they got married…

    Viable relationships do require work…and when things are flowing good…it doesn’t seem or feel like work….and then when it DOES seem like and feel like work…you’re gonna need that organic chemistry to get you out of that mindset….

    Well…that’s what 51 years of life has taught me thus far…

    • jjva says:

      Love that, Lala. I split with my ex last year after 13 years of marriage. We never had chemistry. I’m with someone new now. We do. The difference is palpable in good times and bad.

    • Keaton says:

      I love how you put this. Well said.

  2. Jennifer says:

    I just don’t think they are nearly as cute as they think they are.

  3. paranormalgirl says:

    My marriage is solid and strong, and requires work. We’re two vastly different people who connect on many levels, but there are times we butt heads. That’s normal

  4. Elisabeth says:

    I always get the impression they are trying to convince everyone about their relationship. A constant ‘look at us’ that is boring to me

  5. Embee says:

    I listen to Dax’s podcast, Armchair Expert, and he does truly seem to adore and respect her. In addition to the Sisyphean task of raising children in a household where both parents work, they work in the land of temptation, and Dax is in recovery from drugs, alcohol and promiscuity. I would imagine that it does take their attention, and I commend them on it. What grates on me (even though I get it) is their super self-conscious “normalcy” with regards to the size of their home, how they dress, and the constant references to being Michiganders, notwithstanding the fact that each has been in California for like 20 years. Still, I think their messaging is positive and certainly not harmful, so more power to them.

  6. Littlefishmom says:

    Does anyone care about these two? I find them insufferable. They’re not cute, they’re annoying. Oversharing constantly.

  7. Sassy says:

    UGH! I can’t stand them. I also dislike this celeb couples thing as a “brand”. A terrible trend, I think.

  8. Caroline says:

    They’re not everyone’s cuppa tea but I find them very endearing. His podcast is wonderful, he really gets his guests to open up and of course he also over-shares his experiences but it’s from a place of owning his sh*t I think.

    Their striving-midwesterner-ness is also something I highly relate to, having also grown up in Michigan, even if I haven’t lived there in 30 years. I think they like pulling back the curtain, and showing that their life is not all movie premiers and award shows.

    We should all be so lucky to *want* to spend that much time with our spouses after 10 years and two kids together! I’m married 22 years and I can tell you it’s rare.