Cher has never been one to sugarcoat her thoughts, and that trademark bluntness was on full display during her recent stop on the Armchair Expert podcast.
The music legend appeared alongside host Dax Shepard on the January 5 episode. While the chat remained playful, it didn’t take long for Cher to make it known that she’s long been a big fan of Shepard’s wife, Kristen Bell.
Early in the conversation, Shepard leaned into the joke and asked Cher outright if she thought Bell could do better. “Who would be your dream partner for her? ’Cause I know you think she could be better, and I don’t disagree,” he said, drawing laughs from Bell, who was also part of the discussion.
Cher didn’t suggest an imaginary upgrade, but she didn’t completely backtrack either. “The truth is, I trust her,” she replied. “So you must have something that I don’t see.”
The pair first crossed paths while working on the 2010 musical drama, at a time when Bell and Shepard were already engaged. Cher looked back on those early days fondly, saying they connected instantly on set.
“We got along so well, and we were very sympatico,” she shared, noting that she respected Bell even before knowing much about her career. “I didn’t know who she was, but she was good.”
As the conversation continued, Shepard made his case—not with jokes, but as a partner. He explained that he’s genuinely comfortable with Bell’s success. “I’m not threatened by her shining,” he told Cher. “The shinier she gets, the better.”
That mindset struck a chord. Cher pointed out that her own partner, Alexander “AE” Edwards, has a similar attitude. “The more I shine, the more he has won,” she said. Bell summed it up neatly, describing them as “guys who polish you so you shine more.”
By the end, the exchange took on a warmer tone. Shepard admitted, “I adore you, and I understand nobody’s good enough for her,” while Bell flipped the joke, calling her husband a “slow burn” and “almost too good” for her.
Cher wrapped things up with a final stamp of approval, telling Shepard, “You seem like a good dad.” Bell quickly agreed, calling him “the best dad there ever was,” even as Shepard joked that he was just playing it up for Cher.
