Dax Shepard has endless gratitude for wife Kristen Bell, having turned to her earlier this year after relapsing with pills amid his 16-year sobriety journey. The actor opened up about how sharing his struggles with the world changed his life for the better during Monday’s episode of his Armchair Expert podcast, thanking his wife and co-host Monica Padman for all their love and support in recent months.
“I can’t imagine having to admit that to other people and feeling as safe as I did that you guys wouldn’t hate me. I hated me at that point, and so, to be able to tell you guys and feel unconditionally loved and that I would be accepted was really special,” The Ranch actor said. “It saved my life.” The Good Place actress also had nothing but praise for how Padman had helped Shepard share his story on the podcast back in September.
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“I would like to thank all parties involved because I am so appreciative of being able to go through every flavor of emotion with Monica and also to have you, the father of my children, be so able to be honest, even at your most shameful moments,” she added. “Nobody saved you but you and your courage and boldness to say, ‘I feel like I’m slipping’ or ‘I did slip and I need to be honest before it gets worse’ and I’m just grateful to all parties involved. I think we did a really good job, team.”
Shepard and Bell have been married for seven years and share daughters Lincoln, 7, and Delta, 5. The Parenthood alum suffered a series of medical issues this year, including a motorcycle accident, which was the catalyst to his abuse of painkillers, which he kept a secret from his wife and friends for months before coming forward with the truth the same month that would have marked his 16th year of sobriety. “I felt so terrible about the lying,” he said in the podcast episode titled “Day 7” at the time. “I was just very scared, and I felt very, very lonely.”
It has been a challenging and difficult year, but Shepard said in Monday’s podcast that he still “loved this year immensely,” despite the feeling of guilt that brings. “I loved this year. I had a great year,” he admitted. “Even with two surgeries and a relapse and shame spiral and all this stuff, still a great year for me.”
