Overview
- The Instagram post remains live with the original caption, and Bell has limited comments in response to the reaction.
- Followers and advocacy-minded commenters labeled the joke tone-deaf and triggering, citing the timing during Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
- Some public figures responded playfully or supportively, including Mae Whitman, Howie Mandel, Terry Crews, and the Dateline account.
- Multiple outlets report that representatives for Bell and Shepard have not responded to requests for comment.
- Coverage notes the couple’s history of sharing provocative, offbeat humor about their relationship, which supporters framed as context for the inside joke.