Dax Shepard Opens Up About Helping Kristen Bell By Sucking Out Her Clogged Duct While She Was Breastfeeding

Dax Shepard just proved once again that he’s the definition of a ride-or-die partner.

While chatting on The Drew Barrymore Show, Dax Shepard known for his role on Parenthood — brought up one of the wildest and oddly heartwarming stories from his marriage to Kristen Bell. He recalled the time he literally sucked out a clogged milk duct while she was breastfeeding.

“Let’s just say that I extracted mastitis and we’ll leave everyone’s imagination to wander.” Shepard said, as Drew recoiled in surprise and the studio audience leaned in, clearly hooked.

“It is not easy and not rewarding.” he continued. “I mean, it is, to know that you’ve helped your partner, but other than that, it’s where the rubber meets the road. It’s down in the trenches, you know?”

Kristen Bell — who shares daughters Lincoln, 12, and Delta, 10, with Shepard quickly stepped in to back up her husband’s not-so-glamorous move.

“I realized the level of commitment that this man had to me.” she said softly during the interview, stroking his face in appreciation.

This wasn’t actually the first time Bell brought up the moment. She originally shocked fans with the story back in 2018 during an episode of her show Momsplaining.

“I said to my husband: ‘I really need you to suck this out. We could talk about it, we could be weird about it, or you could just go ahead and nurse.'” she recounted. “He pulled it out. He had a cup next to him. He was pulling out and spitting into this cup, and I’ve never been more in love in my life.”

Bell didn’t stop there. In a more recent episode of Momsplaining with Katie Lowes, she stood by the technique, saying: “It works.”

Turns out she’s not the only one. Experts say there’s truth to it. Leigh Anne O’Connor, a certified lactation consultant, explained to Self that in especially tough cases of mastitis, partners sometimes pitch in. “It can be hard to suck effectively, but it can be done.” she noted. “If your baby is not nursing or is not nursing well, or pumping hasn’t helped, a partner might do an efficient job of clearing the plug.”

But Dax’s love for Kristen goes beyond that moment — he’s always shown up to cheer her on, in all the ways that count.

Just last week, he proudly celebrated her 2025 Emmy nomination with a hilarious post on Instagram that definitely turned heads. Kristen, known for her roles in Frozen and The Good Place, was nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance as Joanne in Nobody Wants This.

Dax marked the moment by posting a cheeky photo of Bell doing downward dog in their backyard — and wearing nothing but bright blue knee-high socks.

“People might not know everything that happens behind the scenes in order to create an Emmy nominated performance like Kristen’s.” he captioned the pic. “This may or may not have been a part of her training, but it felt right. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!”

Kristen’s own Instagram reaction was a bit more toned down — well, sort of. She posted snapshots of her and showrunner Erin Foster reacting to the nomination during a Zoom call, both of them looking completely stunned. “Finding out I was nominated for an Emmy — finding out @erinfoster was nominated for an Emmy!!!!” she wrote alongside the pics.

On top of that, the show received a nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series, and co-star Adam Brody also earned recognition for his role as Rabbi Noah Roklov. Kristen’s fellow nominees include some big names like Quinta Brunson, Uzo Aduba, Jean Smart, and Ayo Edebiri.

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Shepard’s celebratory post was certainly eye-catching.Dax Shepard / Instagram.

Dax couldn’t resist jumping into the comments to celebrate her win in his own unique way: “May you only listen to ‘Strut’ by Steven Seagal all day long. You’ve earned it!!!!”

The couple has been going strong since 2007, after meeting at a dinner party. They tied the knot in 2013, waiting until same-sex marriage was legal in California to make their union official — a decision they made out of solidarity and principle.

Now, after more than a decade together and raising two kids, they’re still sharing their real-life ups and downs — equal parts weird, sweet, and somehow always relatable.

Whether it’s unclogging milk ducts or posting near-nude celebration pics, one thing is for sure: when it comes to Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard, no detail is off limits. And honestly, fans wouldn’t have it any other way.