Joanne and Noah’s relationship issues on season 2 of Nobody Wants This felt familiar to Kristen Bell, given some of the challenges she’s experienced with husband Dax Shepard.
When Netflix released season 2 on Thursday, October 23, viewers followed Joanne (Bell) and Noah (Adam Brody) after they decided to fully commit to making their romance work. Unfortunately, the fictional couple run into obstacles stemming from their biggest differences — including their religious beliefs and plans for how quickly they want their relationship to progress.
In a recent interview with People, Bell, 45, opened up about the similarities between her own marriage and the relationship playing out on screen. “Having someone I feel that is very opposite from me is certainly something that I feel,” she said. “I feel like my real-life husband and I are ‘opposites attract.’”
Bell noted that having opposite outlooks doesn’t automatically mean a relationship is doomed.
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“But that doesn’t mean we couldn’t make it work, or didn’t want to make it work, ” she continued. “It just meant we did have to have a lot of patience for each other to figure out what the compromises would be, and a general understanding that we’re probably going to have different viewpoints on almost everything — and figure out a respectful way to have those discussions.”
Earlier in the Nobody Wants This press tour, Bell gushed about how she knew Shepard, 50, was the perfect match for her.
“I am glad I chose my husband, because he has a commitment to growth at all times,” she said on the Tuesday, October 21, episode of SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live. “I don’t like the idea that you’re like looking for your perfect puzzle piece, because you also have to become a puzzle piece that fits with someone else.”
Bell continued: “So if you find two people that are like, ‘Yeah, we’re gonna make this work,’ and that means we’re gonna compromise constantly, and those compromises should work well for both of us. And sometimes it’s gonna ebb and sometimes it’s gonna flow, but we’re not gonna have checks and balances because we’re gonna realize it’s not me against you, it’s us against the world.”
Bell and Shepard, who share daughters Lincoln, 12, and Delta, 10, celebrated 12 years of marriage this month.
“Happy 12th wedding anniversary to the man who once said to me: ‘I would never kill you,’” Bell wrote via Instagram in a tribute to Shepard. “‘A lot of men have killed their wives at a certain point. Even though I’m heavily incentivized to kill you, I never would.’”
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The post quickly sparked controversy online. While some users understood Bell’s light-hearted tone, others questioned the reference to domestic violence. Bell limited her Instagram comments but has yet to publicly address the backlash.
As the drama continues, Bell skipped a scheduled appearance on the Today show, but she has since resumed promoting season 2 of Nobody Wants This. Along with updates on Joanne and Noah’s relationship, viewers will also see an appearance from Brody’s wife, Leighton Meester, on season 2.
While Bell was excited to work with Meester, 45, she hinted fans shouldn’t expect her to share the screen with Shepard on her hit Netflix series.
“I would of course want him to come on the show. He would never do it — he’s kind of retired from acting,” Bell told People. “Maybe he’ll go back one day, but he loves podcasting and he’s not starved for opportunities.”
Nobody Wants This is currently streaming on Netflix.
