In 2018, Shepard celebrated 14 years of sobriety, and his wife, Kristen Bell, posted a tribute to her husband on Instagram, writing: “I know how much you loved using. I know how much it got in your way. And I know, because I saw, how hard you worked to live without it.” Shepard discussed his sobriety on his podcast regularly and in 2020 he opened up about it specifically in an interview on the Jason Ellis Show, reported, saying the reason for his addiction to drugs and alcohol may have been due to childhood trauma. In the interview, Shepard shared he was molested by a neighbor when he was 7 years old. Bell is outspoken about what her husband has been through, saying, “seeing the world through his eyes has really opened mine to knowing that it is a disease and nobody is choosing to drink more than others.”
After his relapse after 16 years of sobriety, the “Good Place” actress Kristen Bell said her husband immediately admitted he needed help. Shepard said, ‘You can drug-test me whenever you want. I’m going to buy some tests. I’m going to have them in the house. If you ever feel nervous, I want you to have access to this and I’ll do it, no questions asked,’” she revealed.
The relapse occurred after a motorcycle accident caused injuries to Shepard that required pain pills. He began to lie about taking the pills and that’s when he knew there was a problem.
