by Dax Shepard earned praise for his response to a “misogynistic” tabloid headline, which described him, Ben Affleck and Keith Urban as “troubled husbands”.
The actor, 47, who has been married to Kristen Bell, 42, since 2013, took on the headline on Instagram on Sunday, where he posted a photo of a recent cover of Star.
The cover reads: “Hollywood’s most troubled husbands”, before stating that Shepard is “forbidden to hang out with friends”, while stating that Affleck, who is married to Jennifer Lopez, is “treated like an assistant”. According to the tabloid, Urban, who is married to Nicole Kidman, “must call home by 10pm.”
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, henpecked means “to subject (one’s spouse or partner) to persistent nagging and domination.”
In the caption of the Instagram post, Shepard jokingly suggested that the tabloid’s headline was a reference to a new movie, titled: “Henpecked,” and starring him, Affleck, and Urban.
“So excited and proud to share that I’m apparently starring in a movie called ‘Henpecked’ with Ben Affleck and Keith Urban. So thrilling. I haven’t read the script yet, but it looks like it’s already been filmed,” the actor wrote. “It looks like I’m playing ‘No Friends Guy,’ which is clearly the second banana of Ben’s ‘Assistant’ character.”
In the caption, Shepard went on to say that, of all the roles in the fictional new film, Urban has the “hardest” one, because he probably wants to be home by 10.
“He, like me, probably WANTS to be in by 10, but the fact that he’s been told he can’t stay out later makes him consider staying out until 11,” Shepard continued. “This contradiction is fertile ground for a talented actor.”
Shepard concluded the post by expressing his excitement for the film, adding, “Can’t wait to see it!!!!”
In the comments below Shepard’s post, many, including other celebrities, applauded the actor for the hilarious response to the headline.
“I just dropped out. You must have gotten my role. You’ll have to grow your hair longer and I hope you enjoy the nudity. Break your legs, man,” commented John Stamos.
Jake Tapper also responded to the post, with the reporter writing, “I read for that. The big character arc in the third act when you come home to your amazing wife and kids and live a happy life. Congratulations!”
The post also prompted a response from Zooey Deschanel, with the actor quipping, “I love this movie!”
“Well if you have to get pounded you better get pounded by Kristen Bell,” joked another person.
While many were amused by Shepard’s response, others praised him for calling out the sexist headline.
“I loved a media outlet that continues the old adage that women are bitches and men are victims. I wish they had a new narrative,” commented one person, while another said, “In a world of toxic masculinity and gender roles, it’s no surprise that an emotionally evolved man gets criticized. He keeps it up!”
“What a wholesome and fun answer,” someone else wrote. “You never know. It could be a good movie. You should write something like that.
While Shepard offered a humorous response to the headline, she previously discussed the importance of empowering women in a conversation with AND! News about how he and Bell raise their two daughters, Delta and Lincoln.
“You like them; you try to give them an opportunity to build self-esteem and believe in themselves. You can’t tell someone they’re awesome. You have to give them the opportunity to prove to themselves that they’re awesome,” she said. the couple’s parenting techniques, before adding, “I think the more empowered women are, the better off we all are.”
