Dateline's hilarious comment on Kristen Bell's viral anniversary post might be easing netizens' outrage over it

When it comes to toeing the line between wit and weird, few do it quite like Kristen Bell. The actress, who’s long been celebrated for her candid humor and openness about marriage, found herself in the middle of a social media storm this week after her anniversary post for husband Dax Shepard went viral for all the wrong reasons. The post—intended as a funny nod to Shepard’s trademark dark humor—quickly divided the internet, with some fans laughing and others side-eyeing the joke entirely.

But just when the backlash began to build, NBC’s Dateline entered the chat—and the internet collectively lost it. With one brilliantly deadpan comment, the true crime series managed to turn outrage into amusement, delivering one of the most unexpectedly funny pop culture crossovers of the year.

Dateline’s comment rewrites the internet’s mood

Kristen Bell’s post was already making the rounds for its twistedly romantic tone when Dateline’s social media team decided to drop in with a comment that could only come from a true crime institution: “Screenshotted.”

It was short. It was dark. And it was absolutely perfect. Fans immediately connected the dots—after all, Dateline has built decades of storytelling around suspicious spouses and too-good-to-be-true domestic bliss. The comment was essentially a tongue-in-cheek way of saying, “If anything ever happens, we’ve got the receipts.”

In an instant, what had started as a potentially uncomfortable viral moment for Bell transformed into one of the funniest pop culture exchanges of the week. Commenters flooded the thread with laughing emojis and praise for Dateline’s social media team, calling it a “savage” and “perfectly on-brand” response. Even people who hadn’t seen Bell’s post before were suddenly invested, proving once again that the right dose of humor can neutralize almost any online controversy. It was both self-aware and smart—a masterclass in social media timing.

Many expressed their approval of the comment by Dateline by replying to it and liking it. The comment has received over 29,000 likes and 142 comments so far, with many users appreciating the humour shown by the true crime show’s Instagram account.

The post, the backlash, and Kristen Bell’s ongoing charm

The humor may have landed differently for different audiences, but the reaction to the post also highlighted something that’s defined Kristen Bell’s public persona from the start: her honesty. For years, Bell and Shepard have made a brand out of radical transparency—openly discussing the highs and lows of their marriage, from therapy sessions to parenting struggles. That kind of openness has earned them praise for authenticity, even as it occasionally invites criticism for oversharing.

The anniversary post reignited that familiar divide. Some found it to be classic Bell—dry, weirdly funny, and disarmingly real. Others felt the joke crossed a line, arguing that humor about violence, even in jest, can be tone-deaf in the current cultural climate. Still, in the midst of the debate, the Dateline moment seemed to ease tensions, reminding everyone that humor is as much about context as it is about intent.

Outside of social media, Bell’s professional life continues to thrive. The actress is set to return to Netflix on October 23 with Nobody Wants This Season 2, the romantic comedy series that became a surprise hit last year. In it, Bell plays Joanne, an agnostic sex podcaster navigating an unlikely relationship with a progressive rabbi played by Adam Brody. 

As Bell gears up for her Netflix return, the viral moment proves one thing: love, laughter, and a perfectly timed comment from a true crime show can still unite the internet, even if only for a few minutes.