Kristen Bell's Shaky Reputation Linked To Religious Movement In Past Deal That Left Her Blindsided

In a twist no one saw coming, a decade-and-a-half-old deal where Kristen Bell voiced a Christian audio is suddenly front and center, catching her off guard.

As the “Nobody Wants This” star recovers from backlash after her controversial wedding anniversary post, she was recently announced as part of the cast for “The Life of Jesus” show, which would air later this month. 

However, Bell has now confirmed that she had no idea the religious show existed.

Ahead of the forthcoming project, Bell's part in it comes as a shock to her, although she had recorded the audio 15 years ago for an entirely different work. 

She found out that Fox Faith had revived the old material and turned it into a new podcast when her team got a request to appear on Fox & Friends the day before the podcast announcement went public. Bell’s rep told Rolling Stone that she never authorized the old audiobook to be “repurposed into a new podcast series.”

Bell is not the only notable figure featured in the broadcast, and the others are equally taken aback as she is. The over 100-member star-studded cast includes Brian Cox, Sean Astin, Neal McDonough, Malcolm McDowell, John Rhys-Davies, and Julia Ormond, among others.

A rep for Rhys-Davies revealed he only learned of the "repurposed" project this week, and Cox's rep confirmed he had no idea his recordings were being reused until recently.

In addition, a note from a producer on the project urged at least one celebrity "not to mention that this audio New Testament Bible was produced years ago," adding that they wanted it to "feel like something that was produced more recently."

A spokesperson for Bell reaffirmed to Entertainment Weekly that she was unaware of the podcast, saying, "This is the actual and factual story." McDowell's representative added that the “Clockwork Orange” actor had contributed his voice to a completely separate biblical project 15 years ago.

Despite the actors being blindsided by the project, Fox News announced the show last Wednesday as part of its latest addition to the network's religion-focused programming.

Bell portrays Mary Magdalene, while Astin takes on the role of Matthew. McDonough embodies Jesus, Cox serves as the Voice of God, and McDowell depicts Caiaphas. Rhys-Davies acts as the narrator, with Ormond representing Mary, Mother of God.

Episodes will roll out in four batches, according to key points in the Christian calendar. The first 13 on November 30 for Advent, the next during Christmas week, another 13 on February 15 for Lent, and the final batch on Palm Sunday, March 29.

News of Bell’s Christian role comes amid criticism she received over her post celebrating her wedding anniversary with husband Dax Shepard.

As The Blast reported, last month, the 45-year-old star took to her Instagram to mark the milestone, sharing a cute couple picture alongside an eyebrow-raising caption. 

Bell wrote, "Happy 12th wedding anniversary to the man who once said to me: 'I would never kill you. A lot of men have killed their wives at a certain point. Even though I'm heavily incentivized to kill you, I never would.'"

In no time, her post garnered attention from fans, many of whom accused her of downplaying the seriousness of domestic violence. 

Amid the backlash, “The Good Place” actress neither responded to the controversy nor did she take down the post.

She also skipped a scheduled appearance on the “Today” show, fueling speculation about how the criticism may affect her image and career in the long run. 

Crisis-management expert Eric Schiffer advised Bell to "drop the dark humor" and take swift accountability. "Silence here reads brutally ugly. Kristen needs to own it, then move forward,” Schiffer cautioned, per The Blast. 

Publicist Alexandria Hurley called the post "completely off-brand" and urged Bell to speak up quickly, warning that silence can easily be interpreted as indifference.

Bell's recent comment has shed new light on her marriage to Shepard, which insiders described as far from picture-perfect.

The Blast reported that sources called the relationship "volatile," noting that even minor disagreements can escalate into days of icy silence.

In 2020, Bell admitted to a blowout fight so intense that she "blacked out" and didn't speak to Shepard for three days. During an appearance on the “Life Is Short podcast,” she detailed a screaming match between her and Shepard, which started from a simple note about folding towels, a request Shepard took as "controlling."

 However, the couple eventually patched things up, with help from a rescue dog named Frank.