Dax Shepard finally set the record straight on rumors that he and his wife, Kristen Bell, are swingers.
“There was the most exciting tabloid story that we were Hollywood swingers and we hosted swing parties,” the “Armchair Expert” podcast host said in Monday’s episode of “The Drew Barrymore Show.”
Shepard, 49, joked that his “favorite part” was receiving text messages from fellow celebrities about the rumblings.
“We got a lot of texts from other friends of ours saying, ‘How could you have not have invited me to the swinger party?'” he said while laughing. “They were teasing, of course, because they know us and they know we’re not hosting swinger parties.”
The “Parenthood” star giggled while recalling a “funny” message from Jimmy Kimmel, who had texted him saying, “My feelings are quite hurt that Molly [McNearney] and I weren’t invited to the swingers party.”
Drew Barrymore then asked Shepard whether there is a couple he and Bell, 44, “fantasize” about.
“Well, there’s a lot of hot couples out there, but no, we have not crossed that divide with anyone,” he clarified.
That said, the actor did share that he and his wife are “most in love” with Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen.
“They’re so dreamy as a couple. You just kind of wanna be in their marriage. It’s not so much that Kristen even wants to bring me along or I wanna bring her along. You just kind of wanna be in their marriage,” he explained.
Shepard and Bell, who married in 2013 and share two daughters, have previously talked about the swinging speculation and theorized that it stemmed from encouraging guests to spend the night at their house after parties.
“We’ll have a dinner party or something and, as we’re sitting down, you’ll say, ‘Everybody, leave your keys!’ Like, you use it as a joke,” the “Veronica Mars” star shared in an August 2023 episode of “Armchair Expert.”
The “CHiPs” star chimed in to admit his sense of humor may have played a role in the confusion, as he has jokingly told past podcast guests, “Hey, if you guys are ever in LA and you wanna swing!”