Kristen Bell’s Secret to a Healthy 11-Year Marriage Is Based On One Simple Phrase: "You've Gotta Be..."

Kristen Bell and Dax Shephard have spent a decade exploring the ups and downs of marriage, and their longevity in a Hollywood relationship is both refreshing and instructive. A while ago around their 10th wedding anniversary, the couple credited their success to one vital philosophy—stay vulnerable. This phrase is more than a catchy mantra; it’s the cornerstone of their shared journey, peppered with candid conversations, therapy, and a whole lot of honesty. Bell has openly shared that vulnerability is the glue that holds her marriage together.

“You’ve gotta be vulnerable,” she emphasized in an interview. The couple admits their marriage hasn’t been smooth sailing. Shepherd once jokingly said, "The marriage is a disaster but when we work together it's very harmonious.” Bell also remarked, “It felt very inauthentic to pretend like it's easy because it's not, it is so hard." Unlike many celebrity couples who project an image of effortless perfection, Bell and Shephard refuse to perpetuate the “relationship goals” myth. A pivotal moment in their relationship is therapy. Bell asserted, “We need a bigger toolbox — everyone's born with a tiny toolbox — so we went to therapy, we figured out how to disagree but still love each other."

As per Goalcast, early in their journey, a therapist pinpointed the root of their conflicts in just six minutes of observation. This humbling moment led to prominent growth for the couple, who learned how to disagree constructively while maintaining love and respect. Bell, unbothered by the stigma surrounding therapy remarked, “I am not at all embarrassed to say I go to therapy, solo or with him. I almost feel like, if you're not in therapy, that's embarrassing."

Shepard explained how seeing their photos tagged as "#relationshipgoals" made them feel responsible for setting the record straight. He shared, "We were afraid someone thinks they're gonna meet their Kristen Bell and it's all going to be easy. We just wanted to say it is awesome and it requires daily work." Bell’s vulnerability extends beyond her marriage and into her acting career. Her recent performance in the Netflix series Nobody Wants This features steamy scenes with Adam Brody, which prompted playful commentary from her husband.

As per People magazine, Shepard confessed he was in awe of his wife’s onscreen chemistry with Brody, joking, "My friend ... we watched that scene together, the kissing scene…And my best friend…goes, 'Does she ever kiss you like that?' No, I didn't even know she could kiss like that." Bell’s response? A humorous acknowledgment that great acting sometimes involves creating believable intimacy, even in front of cameras. She explained, “Even I can acknowledge watching it, like, ‘Whoa, that’s hot,’...You have two actors that know how to stare dopily into each other’s eyes, and you have to have the confidence to expand that and sit the anticipatory value before the kiss —which I think is important."