For years, Denise Richards stayed silent. Even after headlines labeled her 2005 divorce from Charlie Sheen as one of the messiest in Hollywood, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star insisted she’d never go through that kind of public heartbreak again.
“Even if we hate each other, I’m not gonna f**king get divorced,” she told Aaron Phypers on the premiere of her Bravo reality show earlier this year. “We’ll just have different homes or something.”
But now, after nearly six years of marriage, Denise has broken her silence—and the picture she paints is far darker than anyone expected.
According to court documents obtained by People, Richards, 54, has accused Phypers, 49, of repeated and violent abuse, including choking, slamming her head into fixtures, issuing death threats, and monitoring her digital activity while she slept. On July 16, the Superior Court of California granted her a temporary restraining order.
“He Said I’d Disappear”: Denise Richards Details Abuse by Aaron Phypers
In the filing, Richards detailed a disturbing pattern of alleged physical, emotional, and psychological abuse.
“Aaron would frequently violently choke me, violently squeeze my head with both hands, tightly squeeze my arms, violently slap me in my face and head,” she claimed, adding that he once “aggressively slammed [her] head into the bathroom towel rack.”
She also alleged that Phypers “has caused me at least three concussions” during their relationship and claimed that his threats often escalated into suicidal and homicidal language.
“He has repeatedly threatened to kill himself and me if I reported him to the police,” Richards said.
The most recent alleged assault occurred over the July 4 weekend, after Richards asked Phypers and his family to vacate townhomes she had leased. On July 5, she claims, Phypers grabbed her arms, dragged her to the ground, and slammed her against the stairs. When she threatened to call the police, she says he responded:
“I’d like to see the cops take me away—I’ll blow everything up if they try.”
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A Pattern of Control, Surveillance, and Threats
Richards also alleges that Phypers maintained surveillance over her digital life.
“He would hack into my laptop and phone and download all of my text messages,” she claimed.
In one incident, she said he woke her up screaming:
“You f—ing bitch, I saw your text messages.”
She also accused him of smashing her in the head while she sat on the toilet, yelling “Give me your f—ing phone,” and of forbidding her from traveling alone.
“He grabbed me by the back of my head by my hair and slammed me into the ground,” she wrote.
Among her most chilling claims: that Phypers told her she would “disappear” if she ever contacted law enforcement. She also alleged he owns at least eight unregistered firearms and multiple bulletproof vests.
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Legal Fallout and a Divorce Turned Ugly
Phypers filed for divorce on July 7—just days after the alleged violence—and cited “irreconcilable differences.” He listed July 4 as the date of separation. Sources close to Richards say she was blindsided.
“Denise was taken aback when Aaron filed,” a source told Star. “She didn’t think he’d actually do it.”
Now, in addition to the restraining order, Richards has asked the court to prevent Phypers from copying or distributing any personal data he may have taken from her devices. She is also requesting that he return her laptop, pay for legal expenses, and attend a 52-week batterer intervention program.
Phypers, meanwhile, is requesting spousal support—despite allegedly having no income since his Malibu wellness clinic, Quantum 360, closed in 2024 amid lawsuits and debt. One pending lawsuit claims he scammed a cancer patient’s family out of $63,000 with false medical promises.
What Happens Next
The court granted Richards a temporary restraining order but did not extend protection to her daughters. She shares Sami, 21, and Lola, 20, with Charlie Sheen, and adopted 14-year-old Eloise as a single mother. While Phypers had once been expected to legally adopt Eloise, Richards stated in the filing that they share no minor children.
Behind the Hollywood spotlight, Richards now faces a legal and emotional reckoning. Friends say the abuse allegations have opened long-closed wounds and revealed just how much she endured privately. “They aren’t surprised by the divorce,” said one source. “But they are shocked by what she went through to avoid it.”
For Denise Richards, who once vowed never to divorce again, this is not just a legal filing—it’s a survival story.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit thehotline.org. Support is free, confidential, and available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. You are not alone.
