Kristen Bell is opening up about husband Dax Shepard’s recent relapse.
Last month, Dax revealed on his podcast, Armchair Expert, that he had relapsed with painkillers after being sober for 16 years.
Dax, who was in a motorcycle accident in August, said the incident was what led to his full relapse. At first, he thought he’d been managing his addiction. However, his podcast co-host, Monica Padman, called him out on his altered behavior.
“I’m lying to other people and I know I have to quit,” he said. “But my tolerance is going up so quickly that I’m now in a situation where I’m taking, you know, eight 30s a day, and I know that’s an amount that’s going to result in a pretty bad withdrawal. And I start getting really scared, and I’m starting to feel really lonely. And I just have this enormous secret.”
He added that started a schedule to detox from the addiction, but it was not going well.
“I’m gaslighting you and I know I am. I’m making Kristen feel crazy,” he continued. He said he’s since come clean to both Kristen and Monica about his struggles with the medication.
In a recent appearance on Ellen, Kristen shared some updates with fans – including the new plan they put in place.
“He is actually doing really great,” The Good Place actress shared. “I mean, look, everybody’s up against their own demons. Sometimes it’s anxiety and depression, sometimes it’s substance abuse.”
She also commended her husband for having the courage to open up to her about his problem and ask for help.
“The thing I love most about Dax is A) that he was able to tell me and tell us and say we need a different plan. Right?” she continued. “Like we have a plan. If he has to take medication, for any reason, I have to administer it. But he was like, ‘So, we need a stronger plan. I was faltering and I have to do some sort of emotional work to figure out why I wanted to use again.’
However, Dax does have one addiction Kristen approves of. “One of the main reasons I love him is he’s also addicted to growth. He’s addicted to evolving,” she shared. “And he was like, ‘I don’t want to risk this family and I did, so let’s put new things in place to make sure it doesn’t happen again.’ We’re going back to therapy. I love that he’s addicted to growth and I will continue to stand by him because he’s very, very worth it.”
