'Three-Way Marriage'? Friends Of Dax Shepard's Podcast Co-Host Monica Padman 'Worried' Her Dynamic With Him & Kristen Bell Isn't 'Healthy'!

They’re podcast besties, but is this dynamic problematic??

If you’ve ever tuned into an episode of Dax Shepard‘s podcast Armchair Expert, you know he co-hosts it with his ex-nanny-turned-BFF Monica Padman. Long before the podcast started, Monica moved to LA to be an actress and eventually took a job babysitting for the famous couple before becoming a full-time nanny for their two daughters.

When the kids grew up, they kept her on as Kristen Bell‘s personal assistant and speech writer — something she’s still doing! She was just credited as Kristen’s host writer for the Actor Awards. And to make it even clearer how close they are, Monica bought a home just a short walk away from them!

So, simply put, she’s got an incredibly tight bond to the couple — on a personal and professional level.

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And while on the outside, it might seem like this friendship’s really worked in Monica’s favor, it turns out her other pals are growing increasingly concerned! Speaking to DailyMail.com on Wednesday, an insider claimed Monica has made herself “invaluable” to the couple — but friends don’t think the co-dependent relationship is “healthy.” The source detailed:

“Monica is not only heavily involved in Dax’s podcast, but also sometimes like the third wheel in his marriage to Kristen. … She’s made herself invaluable to them, and the kids love her.”

While Monica and Dax are closer in terms of business, it’s the girls who share a deeper bond on a personal level:

“Monica is closer to Dax than she is to Kristen on a professional level. However, on a personal level she and Kristen share girl talk. They seem to be much of her life right now.”

Back in 2024, Monica recalled what it was like shifting to the Frozen star’s assistant, noting she’d “sometimes” not go home and “became a part of that family.” We mean, they must just really connect! Which wouldn’t necessarily be a problem, except, at least according to these supposed friends, the fact that Monica is single and supposedly way too invested in the pair’s marriage:

“[Her friends] don’t think the relationship between the three of them is a healthy one because they believe she is ‘too involved’ in the couple’s life.”

Hmm… She’s a grown woman! She can control her dynamics, no? Maybe she’s not pressed about being single! A lot of people aren’t! That said, she does her best to stay out of Dax and Kristen’s way when they are bickering — which is a lot of the time:

“She tries to stay out of their infamous fights but that’s not as easy as it seems. … They are constantly in arguments and are constantly at each other’s throats, but they wouldn’t have it any other way. They both have learned through therapy they are the only ones that will deal with each other’s drivel and disconnect. Always being at odds seems to be what makes them tick and is their lifeblood.”

Yet they make it work:

“As much disagreement happens in their relationship, it also leads to various moments of extreme bliss. … They know how to test each other. They are always trying to prove something to each other, or one-up each other. When they aren’t at each other’s throats, they will have their moments of deep love for each other. Outside looking in, it doesn’t seem a healthy way to go through a relationship, but they have currently figured out a way to make it work.”

Monica does her best to avoid the drama, but it’s not always easy:

“Monica doesn’t like to be in the middle of their feuds but sometimes manages to get drawn in. She tries not to take sides. Kristen has made it perfectly clear to Monica that she and Dax need their alone time and she gets it.”

Oooo…

So, even Kristen thinks they’re too close at times?? Oof.

BTW, none of this is exactly lost on the threesome. They joked on Jimmy Kimmel Live! back in 2021 that they were in a “three-way marriage,” with the Parenthood alum teasing when asked if it was ever a sexual arrangement:

“Unfortunately not. It’s all the responsibilities of two wives without the sex!”

Monica has also gotten candid over the years about the challenges she’s faced navigating a friendship and work relationship with Dax, noting they had to set up boundaries after having “big fights.” So, it all sounds kinda messy with a lot of ups and downs!

If she really IS spending too much time entangled with Dax and Kristen, we could see why friends are worried. We mean, she needs time to build her own life, you know?? We just hope the concerns are sincere. And, at the end of the day, these are her decisions.

What do U think? Is this unhealthy?? Let us know your take (below)!

[Image via Armchair Expert/YouTube & Kristen Bell/Instagram]

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