Overview
- On Oct. 17, Bell marked their 12th anniversary with a photo and a caption quoting Shepard: “I would never kill you… even though I’m heavily incentivized to kill you, I never would.”
- Many followers called the message insensitive or triggering, pointing to Domestic Violence Awareness Month and citing global femicide statistics.
- Celebrity responses were mixed, with comments from Mae Whitman, Howie Mandel, Terry Crews, Zoey Deutch and NBC’s Dateline among others.
- By Oct. 20–21, Bell restricted who could comment on the post, which remains visible on her Instagram.
- Multiple outlets report that representatives for Bell and Shepard did not immediately respond to requests for comment.