#Why Dax Shepard & Kristen Bell Are Open About Their Marriage Struggles: ‘We Don’t Feel Like We Have An Option’

Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell are one of the most beloved Hollywood couples, and it’s all because of how honest they are about their marriage.

The pair have been totally open about their frequent marriage counseling and mental health battles. Kristen has shared about dealing with depression, while Dax has let fans into the highs and lows of his sobriety journey. That kind of raw vulnerability — especially on such a public platform — takes a lot of courage. But in Dax’s opinion, they had no choice but to be true to themselves about these issues.

Related: Kristen Celebrates Dax’s ‘Commitment To Growth’ On His Birthday

In an interview with Today’s Willie Geist, he explained:

“We don’t want anyone to think we met and it’s been easy, because if that’s someone’s expectation of a relationship and certainly a marriage, it’s a bad expectation to have. So it’s interesting. We don’t feel like we have an option.”

That feeling of having no other option but honesty carried over into how he dealt with his recent relapse. The father of two admitted on a September episode of his podcast Armchair Expert that he had broken his sobriety after nearly 16 years.

Reflecting on the bombshell reveal, he told Geist:

“That’s the only thing I said on the podcast I straight did not want to say. I get so much self esteem out of being someone who has encouraged other people to try sobriety. I’m gonna be exposed as a fraud, that I didn’t ever do this thing correctly or I wouldn’t be in this situation.”

However, a sage piece of advice from a friend encouraged him to continue pursuing radical honesty with his audience. The actor shared:

“I have a good friend who said to me, you know, ‘If what you like is helping people, there’s almost nothing you could do that would be more helpful than telling everyone.’”

Related: Dax On Being ‘Terrified’ To Share About Relapse

Luckily, with the help of his support system (which includes Kristen and BFF/podcast co-host Monica Padman), Dax was able to get healthy once again. The 46-year-old said:

“I had to look at, like, you know, what am I not dealing with, what am I ignoring. I actually feel better this current four months than I had maybe the previous years.”

It’s amazing what openness, honesty, and of course a “little therapy brush-up” can do! Dax’s perspective is so valuable, and as always, we appreciate that he’s willing to share his (and Kristen’s) journey with the world.

[Image via Adriana M. Barraza/WENN]