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Other woman in Dax Shephard's life disagreed with him on Valentine's plans as he speaks about 'three-way marriage'
Dax Shepard opened up about how Valentine’s Day played out in his household, and his confession about the holiday may surprise some fans.
During a recent episode of his Armchair Expert podcast, the 51-year-old actor admitted that while he went all out for his two daughters, Lincoln, 12, and Delta, 11, he didn’t end up doing much for his wife, Kristen Bell, cited by the Independent.
Instead, Shepard said his energy was focused on creating a memorable day for the children, complete with thoughtful gestures and handmade touches.
“I definitely neglected my mom and Kristen,” he said, after noting that he has considered his mother his Valentine for the last 51 years. “But I think they saw that I was spending a lot of my energy on my other two Valentines.”
Dax Shepard explains why Valentine’s Day centered on his daughters
According to Shepard, the day involved heart-shaped pool floats and handmade Valentine’s cards for his daughters.
His co-host Monica Padman asked whether Bell might have viewed those gestures toward their kids as her own Valentine’s Day present.
“I hope so. I think so,” Shepard responded.
Inside Dax Shepard’s joking ‘three-way marriage’ with Monica Padman
Beyond the headlines surrounding their relationship, Shepard has also spoken openly about the unusual dynamic he shares with Bell and his podcast co-host Monica Padman.
During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Padman joked about the close relationship she has developed with the married couple over the years.
When host Jimmy Kimmel asked if she was “the third wheel in Dax and Kristen's tricycle of love,” Padman replied: “Well, we were in a three-way marriage."
Kimmel then pushed Shepard on whether there was anything romantic about the arrangement.
“Unfortunately not,” Shepard joked. “It’s all the responsibilities of two wives without the sex!”
“…Yet,” Padman coyly added.
Padman’s connection with Shepard and Bell dates back more than a decade. Originally from Georgia, she moved to Los Angeles in 2011 hoping to pursue acting.
To support herself, she worked several jobs, including at the front desk of SoulCycle. Her life changed when she began babysitting the couple’s daughters, Lincoln and Delta, in 2013 and 2014.
Once the children started attending school, Padman began working more closely with Bell as her personal assistant and even served as her speech writer.
Podcast success and life changes during the pandemic
Padman’s role expanded further when Shepard launched the Armchair Expert podcast in 2018.
Initially, she offered to help him get the show started, but Shepard ultimately invited her to co-host instead. The podcast’s first guest was Bell herself.
During that first episode, Shepard admitted the couple had been “bickering” and “being impatient with each other” while recording.
At one point, he mocked Bell by doing an impression of her nagging him, which prompted the actress to call him “annoying” and accuse him of “talking over” her.
The show went on to become a massive success. Armchair Expert now attracts an estimated 20 million monthly listeners. In 2024, the podcast signed an exclusive distribution deal with Wondery reportedly worth $80 million.
As the show grew, so did Padman’s presence in their personal lives. In December 2019, she purchased a home just a three-minute walk from the property Bell and Shepard bought in 2017.
During the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, Padman even moved into their home while the trio worked together on the podcast.
The arrangement ended after the household situation became chaotic.
"It hit critical mass a month in because Kristen ‘got Covid,'" Padman joked while using air quotes. "We thought. So, she was in her room quarantining on her own.
"At the same time, Dax broke his hand - couldn't make food, couldn't help with anything," she told Kimmel.
Padman recalled feeling overwhelmed by the situation.
Friends reportedly concerned about the trio’s closeness
While Shepard and Padman often joke about their close relationship, some insiders claim that not everyone around them is comfortable with the dynamic.
“Monica is not only heavily involved in Dax's podcast, but also sometimes like the third wheel in his marriage to Kristen,” an insider said, via the Daily Mail. “She’s made herself invaluable to them, and the kids love her.”
According to the source, Padman shares different relationships with both Shepard and Bell.
“Monica is closer to Dax than she is to Kristen on a professional level. However, on a personal level, she and Kristen share girl talk. They seem to be much of her life right now,” the insider explained.
However, some of Padman’s friends have reportedly raised concerns.
“[Her friends] don't think the relationship between the three of them is a healthy one” because they believe she is “too involved” in the couple's life, the insider said.
Living only minutes away from Bell and Shepard’s home means Padman occasionally gets pulled into tense moments between the pair.
“Monica doesn't like to be in the middle of their feuds, but sometimes manages to get drawn in. She tries not to take sides,” the source claimed. "Kristen has made it perfectly clear to Monica that she and Dax need their alone time, and she gets it.”