Dax Shepard addresses accusations he’s ‘controlling and abusive’ to wife Kristen Bell after flirting comments

Dax Shepard has rubbished claims that he is 'controlling and abusive' towards his wife, Kristen Bell.

Bell and Shepard's relationship has been under the microscope in recent months, with the Nobody Wants This actor's recent admission that her spouse compliments strangers as a method of flirting becoming a hot topic online.

However, it would appear that the couple are fed up with people speculating about their relationship, with Shepard setting the record straight during a new episode of his Armchair Expert podcast.

Responding directly to allegations that he is 'controlling' and 'abusive' towards Bell, Shepard said: "[The] weird narrative that is surrounding me as like controlling, abusive, now flirting with people in public, which I don’t do... It’s so frustrating."

The actor and podcaster set the record straight on his podcast (Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)

The Parenthood actor went on to reveal that while he'd avoided the comments, the online discourse had hit 'Kristen’s doorstep really hard', leading him to find out 'everything that people are saying about me'.

Explaining why it was particularly hurtful for him to read such comments, Shepard explained that he'd grown up around abusive men and therefore dedicated his 'whole life to being the opposite'.

"I don’t ever yell at my children. I don’t yell at my wife," he said. "To have given it my all to be the opposite of what now some group of people is saying I am, it’s hard."

He then added that Bell also finds the narrative 'deeply insulting', telling viewers: "She’s what, she’s sitting in a house with her two daughters and modelling some abusive relationship?

"Like, it’s very offensive to her."

The latest round of scrutiny came just a couple of weeks after Bell appeared on Armchair Expert, explaining how Shepard 'pouring compliments' on strangers gave her 'butterflies'.

"If we go to a dinner or something, like there's a couple things Dax does where he doesn't have to look up and wink at me, but I know that he's just being the best boy," she explained.

"We'll be at dinner and like he'll say to the waiter or waitress, he'll go, ‘Wow, you have incredible eyelashes, gorgeous eyes. Great job'."

Bell recently revealed that Shepard complimenting strangers left her with 'butterflies' (Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)

When Shepard’s co-host Monica Padman suggested that his behaviour could be considered by some to be flirting, Bell responded by explaining that she doesn't see it that way.

“That’s flirting with me. He just made someone else feel good. 'Cuz he's going to have zero interaction with it. Let's say it is a girl," she said.

"He's going to have zero interaction with this girl for the rest of his life. The chances of him ever having another conversation with her are so microscopic.

"But to me to know that my partner actively smiles at people and gives them compliments."