Why Kristen Bell Was Slammed Over Her Hello Bello Baby Line Commercial

Like most celebrities, Kristen Bell has side gigs in addition to acting. The mom of two started the baby product company "Hello Bello" in 2019 with her actor husband, Dax Shepard. Bell is known for rocking the boat a little bit with her parenting techniques, such as when she polarized other moms and dads by proudly announcing that she and Shepard don't bathe their kiddos every day; instead, they "wait for the stink," (via Today). But Hello Bello's goals seem like something every caregiver could get behind — "natural ingredients, eco-friendly and affordable," as the "Frozen" star highlighted to CNBC's "Make It."

Unfortunately, a 2019 Instagram commercial released by the baby line didn't have parents lining up to buy their moderately priced, naturally made products. The ad starred Bell herself and a (sort of) anonymous toddler dubbed "Jordan." In the Instagram reel, the actor is seen holding the little girl on her hip in what appears to be a kitchen. "This is Jordan," Bell remarks to the camera, "Jordan s**ts her pants." Her husband then joins them, quipping, "Been there, Jordan," while setting down a box of Hello Bello diapers. The little girl looks slightly uncomfortable as Shepard tries to hand her a diaper, instructing her to "fill it up."

The commercial was on brand for the humorous and quirky celebrity couple. However, the fact that they are so protective over their children on social media while seemingly using "Jordan" for their own means left some viewers furious.

One respondent to the Hello Bello ad posted by Kristen Bell argued, "So your kids deserve privacy but you don't mind exploiting other people's children for monetary gain?" The "Veronica Mars" star and her husband, Dax Shepard, never reveal their daughters' identities on social media; though they do appear in pictures with them, the girls' faces are either covered with emojis or turned away from the camera. They have even (respectfully) confronted paparazzi who have tried to snap a pic of their kids, ultimately getting them to delete the potentially dangerous photos. 

So, seeing Bell and Shepard openly presenting another young child on Instagram was hypocritical to some. One fan wrote, "You celebrities. You want everyone else to follow rules you don't have to." When the commercial was released, the couple's first daughter, Lincoln Bell Shepard, would have been six years old, while their second, Delta Bell Shepard, was around five. The girls would therefore have been a bit too old to star in a diaper commercial, but that didn't stop commenters from suggesting they should have used their own children or none at all in the ad.

Still, plenty of fans appreciated the commercial's comical nature. "That's hilarious! Great commercial Kristen! So funny!" read one response. Another urged the parents and co-founders: "Don't listen to negative comments. Children have been on commercials for years!"

Commercials have long featured children, especially when promoting products geared specifically towards them. In addition, the child's parents must consent to have their little one appear in the production. However, Kristen Bell seemed to allude to the fact that she doesn't think it's a double standard when responding to the commenter who accused her of exploiting "Jordan." The actor reasoned, "Well, there's a big difference. If we expose our kids' faces, there is a real threat of them getting stalked, or of a stranger coming up to them and knowing their name. It's a safety thing."

The "Bad Moms" star isn't alone in going to such extreme lengths to protect her children. Plenty of other celebrities, like Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, and Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling, refrain from giving too much, if anything, away about their kids on social media. Bell and her husband have just been particularly outspoken about it, even leading the charge in the "No Kids Policy," which strives to prevent paparazzi from taking photos of children. 

Bell also stands firm in the decision because, as she's acknowledged publicly, fame and all that comes with it was her choice, so her kids should get to choose too. As the Hello Bello co-founder informed Romper, "I don't know them yet. I don't know if they will want that. So I really don't have the right to choose for them." In all, it's a bit of a double-edged sword as Bell and Dax Shepard know better than anybody.