When Ellen DeGeneres brought up Dax Shepard’s confession that he had relapsed with painkillers, his wife Kristen Bell replied glibly, “Whoopsies!” (See the interview below.)
But “The Good Place” actor was all heart in updating Shepard’s recovery after he broke 16 years of sobriety.
“He is actually doing really great,” Bell told DeGeneres in a preview of Wednesday’s “Ellen.” “Everybody is up against their own demons.”
Bell lauded Shepard’s honesty and said he had another addiction that should help him continue his recovery.
“He’s addicted to evolving,” Bell said. “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.’”
Bell added that she and Shepard are returning to couples therapy.
“I will continue to stand by him because he’s very, very worth it,” she told the host.
Shepard, of “Bless This Mess” and “Parenthood” fame, revealed last month that he had been abusing painkillers and lying to those around him. He said a motorcycle crash sparked his return to drug abuse.
Shepard said he was celebrating his 16th year of sobriety from alcohol and cocaine at a recent AA meeting while high, calling it “the worst hour of my life.”
Shepard and Bell have been married since 2013 and have two young daughters.
Need help with substance use disorder or mental health issues? In the U.S., call 800-662-HELP (4357) for the SAMHSA National Helpline.