Dax Shepard has opened up about his difficult childhood and life with a single mom. The 51-year-old Parenthood alum recalled feeling uncomfortable with the way his mother sometimes dressed during his childhood.
Dax Shepard says his childhood concerns about his mom’s appearance stuck with him for years
While speaking with guest Taron Egerton on the August 10 episode of his Armchair Expert podcast, Shepard said, as quoted by EW, “I remember, dude, my mom has big b**bs. My mom would occasionally wear a f**king white tank top and I just remember like, ‘Oh f**k man. We’re going to the grocery store. She’s in the white tank top. There’s gonna be like weird dudes that just start talking to her.’ I hated it.”
Egerton shared a similar experience, telling Shepard that he also struggled with the attention his mother received during his childhood. The Golden Globe-winning Welsh actor said, “My mother is, and has always been, an attractive woman. I can remember that as a boy. I can remember the feelings of rage and I can remember the feelings of inadequacy and I can remember not knowing what to do with all of that, and, probably, also wanting her to be looking at me more than them.”
Shepard, married to actress Kristen Bell, said single mothers may rely on their sons for emotional support when they lack a partner. He suggested that this can blur the roles between parent and child. He also said that growing up with a single mother can make it difficult for sons to avoid noticing how other men treat their mothers. This can shape how they view those interactions. He said they may subconsciously feel responsible for protecting their mothers.
The conversation also explored Shepard and Egerton’s relationships with their fathers. Shepard has previously discussed his difficult relationship with his father. His father died in 2012 after battling lung cancer. Shepard admitted that he and his father were more alike than he once wanted to admit. This was especially true in how they dealt with emotional pain.
Mamamia reports that Shepard’s mother has been married four times, including to a man who became her second husband after Shepard’s father and was abusive. Speaking on The Tim Ferriss Show in 2020, Shepard recalled witnessing his first stepfather physically abuse his mother, calling the experience “gnarly.”
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