They’re back from the brink — and determined to keep fighting.
As Kristen Bell and Dax Shepardgear up to celebrate their October 17 wedding anniversary, the Hollywood duo are taking stock of an especially rocky year — but both agree that “divorce is not an option,” says an insider. “They’re sticking together.”
The longtime couple, who are parents to daughters Lincoln, 8, and Delta, 6, have been refreshingly honest about their relationship trials.
The Without A Paddle actor, 46, previously revealed that they fought “almost weekly” in their first year and a half together, while the Frozen voice actress, 41, admitted they’re far from “perfect” and “mess up all the time.”
OK! learned in July the high-profile pair were "really getting on each other’s nerves and are often at each other’s throats." Though the two seem to be committed to working things out, that doesn't mean there haven't been bumps along the way.
Despite consistent therapy sessions and their obvious chemistry — like when going head-to-head as cohosts on the show Family Game Fight! — they were majorly tested when Shepard broke his 16-year sobriety streak. After the former addict admitted to relapsing with pain medication following a motorcycle accident last August, “Kristen was terribly upset,” says the source.
As OK! previously reported, the 41-year-old admitted on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that she and her husband were seeking help following his heartbreaking relapse.
"We’re going back to therapy. And I will continue to stand by him because he’s very, very worth it,"The Good Place star continued candidly, adding that one of the ways they are working through this is if Shepard needs medication, she is the one that gives it to him.
KRISTEN BELL REACTS TO BATHING DEBATE, SAYS CONTROVERSY TURNED INTO A 'SUPREME COURT CASE'
“That was summer of 2020, [so] here were two anxious people under one roof [in lockdown] having to deal with each other. They struggled, but after a tearful discussion, they agreed to fight for their marriage,” the source spills.
Shepard ultimately recommitted to sobriety, and “Kristen is so impressed with him for turning his life around,” shares an insider. “And Dax credits her for giving him an inner strength he never thought he had.” They’re proud of the life they’ve built together.
“Ultimately, Kristen and Dax are best friends, so they have way more fun together than they do apart,” adds the insider. “It’s a very equal and mature relationship, but they still make each other laugh and have white-hot chemistry too.”
