It sounds like Dax Shepard’s relationship with Eric Dane got off to a seriously rocky start.

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For context, Dax and Eric are two actors who have both talked openly about navigating addiction struggles in the past. And as they were both in the midst of their sobriety journeys a few years ago, they found themselves attending the same Alcoholics Anonymous meeting at their shared sponsor’s house in Bel Air.

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During this week’s episode of Dax’s Armchair Expert podcast, AA wound up being a big topic of conversation as he was joined by Brad Pitt, another star who’s been open about giving up alcohol in the past decade. And so, as the men reflected on their experiences with AA, Dax recalled a heated moment between himself and Eric.

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“Eric Dane, who I now fucking love, I have such a sweetness for him now… But when we first were around each other, it was not good,” Dax began, recalling that the altercation kicked off after Eric “threatened a dude” who was continuously resetting the timer while someone else was talking.

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard / Via youtu.be

“[Eric] goes, ‘If you hit that timer again, I’m gonna fucking throw you in that candle,’” Dax recounted. “And I go, ‘That’s it, motherfucker. Stand up, let’s go outside.’ I’m gonna beat the fuck out of him in Tom’s driveway — at an AA meeting where we’re coming for healing and understanding.”

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard / Via youtu.be

Looking back, Dax laughed at the absurdity of it all, saying, “It’s quite a hilarious beginning for us, because now I love him.”

As you may know, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard this. Dax and Eric actually talked about it together during a June 2024 episode of the Armchair Expert podcast, in which Eric told his side of the story.

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“Somebody I brought to the meeting with me was sharing and just did not stop, and there’s a timer, and Dax’s friend, his sponsee, actually, who I didn’t know, was running the timer and he kept resetting the timer to, like, 15 seconds every time this guy would go over,” he recalled, admitting that the person he brought “probably shouldn’t have been at that meeting” for one reason or another.

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“I was not in the best space, let’s just say that,” Eric added, joking that Dax probably would’ve beaten him if they’d actually come to blows. “I may not have even been sober at the time.”

Well, that’s one way to start a friendship! You can listen to Eric’s episode of Armchair Expert here, and the most recent episode with Brad Pitt here.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, you can call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) and find more resources here.

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