Dax Shepard Details the Near-Death Experience That Made Him Ask ‘Am I Dead’

Dax Shepard recently opened up about a terrifying experience from his teenage years that left him questioning life and death. Speaking with Kaley Cuoco on his Armchair Expert podcast, the 51-year-old actor recalled a near-fatal car accident that changed how he sees the world.

He explained that the moment he realized he might actually die was unlike anything he had ever felt. “I felt like I was only seconds away from the end,” Shepard told Cuoco. The crash happened late at night while Shepard and a friend were driving back to Detroit from Toledo.

Shepard had been resting in the back of the hatchback to get some sleep before an early work shift, leaving his friend in charge of the wheel. Shepard remembered drifting off until the sound of gravel hitting the car jolted him awake. He looked up to see his friend slumped over behind the wheel as the car sped at 85 mph. The vehicle began sliding toward the trees lining the Michigan interstate.

“I tried to grab the steering wheel for a second, but it was too late. I just laid back down,” he said. The car flipped and rolled ten times, but somehow it didn’t hit any trees. Shepard described a strange mental shift during the chaos. “I went from calculating what was about to happen to a weird total peace with it. It was shockingly comforting,” he explained.

Both Shepard and his friend managed to crawl out of the flattened car with no injuries. Still, the experience left a lasting mark on his mind. “For the next three days, I kept wondering if I was actually dead, or if I was in some kind of afterlife,” he admitted.

Today, Shepard channels that perspective into his work. His podcast, Armchair Expert, continues to thrive, recently earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Podcast. He’s known for tackling personal and heavy topics with honesty, something he attributes to experiences like the accident.

Outside of the studio, Shepard shares a long marriage with actress Kristen Bell, and they collaborate on projects like the game show Family Game Fight!. Despite the years, the near-death experience remains a defining moment for him, shaping the way he approaches life and conversation.“That moment taught me a lot about vulnerability and staying present,” Shepard said.

Do you think Dax Shepard’s near-death experience helps him connect so deeply with his guests and speak so openly on his podcast? Share your thoughts in the comments.