Dax Shepard had fans in stitches on Saturday when he posted a tabloid magazine cover featuring himself, Ben Affleck and Keith Urban. The headline was “Hollywood’s Most Henpecked Husbands,” and it listed alleged grievances that all three stars put up with from their equally famous wives. Needless to say, Shepard’s post refuted this characterization of his marriage to Kristen Bell.
Shepard posted a picture of the cover of Star Magazine, apparently taken in the plastic magazine rack at the store. It seemed to be a screenshot from an Instagram Stories post, as it had the caption “get ’em girlies” with a heart emoji imposed over the magazine’s title. Shepard’s caption was dripping with sarcasm as he wrote: “So excited and proud to share that I am apparently starring in a film called ‘Henpecked’ with Ben Affleck and Keith Urban. SO exciting.”
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“Have not read the script yet, but apparently it’s already been shot,” Shepard continued. “It appears I play ‘No Friends Guy,’ who is clearly second banana to Ben’s character ‘Assistant.’ Keith’s character ‘In By 10’ is potentially the hardest role in the film to play. He, like me, probably WANTS to be in by 10, but the fact that he’s been told he can’t stay out later makes him reflexively want to stay out until 11. This contradiction is fertile ground for a talented thespian.”
“Can’t wait to see it!!!!!” Shepard concluded. The post picked up over a quarter million likes in just a day, and many commenters sympathized with Shepard. Many of the top comments came from fellow actors who played along with Shepard’s bit, including Jon Stamoes who speculated that Shepard must have taken a role he dropped out of.
“You’ll have to grow your hair longer and I hope you’re cool with nudity. Break legs, pal,” Stamos concluded. Meanwhile, actress Molly Ringwald wrote: “I can’t believe that my husband didn’t make the cut! …Clearly I need to step it up!”
Shepard and Bell are among the most beloved Hollywood married couples these days, thanks in large part to their frequent over-sharing on Shepard’s podcast Armchair Expert. The two met through mutual friends in 2007 and got engaged in 2010. They married in 2013 without any pomp or circumstance at the Beverly Hills County Clerk’s Office. Judging by Shepard’s post, he does not consider himself “henpecked.”
