Kristen Bell was called out Monday for photos that sheriff’s deputies at the Lancaster Station of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department shared over the weekend.
The images show the former star of The Good Place smiling alongside the deputies, with her arms around them, and, in one of the two shots, flashing a thumbs up.
They explained in the caption, “Today, we had the absolute pleasure of meeting @KristenBell, who was hands down, the kindest human ever. There truly never is a dull moment at Lancaster!”
People were quick to slam Bell for appearing to have made friends with a department found to include several gang-like groups who, according to the Los Angeles Times, have been “accused of glorifying violence and whose members have cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars in legal payouts.” They’ve also been accused of racist behavior.
Commenters said seeing the photos “sucks so much.” They pointed out that Bell is a landlord and suggested that that was why she had been friendly to deputies.
Yahoo Entertainment has reached out to a rep for Bell for comment.
In the past, Bell has publicly supported the Black Lives Matter movement. She and her husband, Dax Shepard, have vowed to raise their daughters to be anti-racist. Bell has co-authored a children’s book, The World Needs More Purple People, which sat atop the New York Times Best Seller List when it was released last year. It’s about “embracing what makes YOU special while finding common ground with those around you.” And “looking to reach beyond the political divide of red and blue.” A sequel, The World Needs More Purple Schools, is scheduled to be released June 21, 2022.
