Kristen Bell Says She Had No Idea Her Voice Was Being Used in a New Fox News

Kristen Bell attends a public event in 2024. (Photo by [Photographer Name] / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons)

Actress Kristen Bell discovered that her voice was featured in Fox News Media’s upcoming 52-episode podcast series The Life of Jesus, set to premiere November 30, 2025 - only after she was asked to promote it on Fox & Friends, just one day before the network publicly announced the series. Bell had recorded her audio in 2010 for a separate production called The Truth & Life Dramatized Audio Bible: New Testament. Her representative confirmed she was unaware the recordings had been licensed and repurposed for the new podcast.

The Licensing Arrangement

The podcast was produced by Gulfstream Studios and licensed by Fox News Audio as part of the network’s new faith-focused vertical, “Fox Faith.” It features over 100 notable actors voicing biblical characters, including Sean Astin, Brian Cox, and Malcolm McDowell. Representatives for those actors also said their clients were unaware their voices would be repurposed. Fox News told PEOPLE the arrangement was made “with full cooperation and participation by all the actors involved” - a claim that directly contradicts statements from the actors’ teams.

According to Entertainment Weekly, citing Rolling Stone, a producer involved with the podcast reportedly asked at least one actor not to disclose that the recordings were made years earlier, suggesting an effort to present the podcast as a fresh production rather than repurposed archival material.

The Broader Issue

The situation illustrates how licensing agreements for previously recorded audio can transfer rights to new productions without the original performers’ direct knowledge. Bell’s case drew particular attention because the reuse was tied to a politically prominent media outlet and a religious subject - a combination her representatives indicated she had not consented to promote. The controversy cast a shadow over the launch of the Fox Faith vertical as it made its public debut.

References: Kristen Bell Shocked to Learn Her Voice Is Leading a New Bible Podcast from Fox | Celebrities had no idea they were included in Fox News Jesus podcast | Fox News’ Jesus Podcast Accused of Hijacking Star’s Voice Without Permission