The divorce drama between The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Denise Richards and her estranged husband, Aaron Phypers, has reached a boiling point after their recent hearings. On their third consecutive day of hearing at the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Phypers strongly responded to Richards’ allegations of domestic abuse made against him, denying them all. The 53-year-old businessman went on to slam the actress for being the ‘aggressive one’ in their marriage.
Denise Richards breaks down, recalling Phypers’ abuse during emotional testimony, as she requests a restraining order extension
Earlier this week, during a court hearing about her ongoing divorce filing, Denise Richards broke down as she described her marriage with Aaron Phypers as a volatile one. The 54-year-old actress, who is seeking to extend a temporary restraining order, emotionally claimed that Phypers repeatedly assaulted and threatened her during their relationship, even allegedly causing her multiple concussions and threatening to ‘disappear’ her.
The Wild Things actress alleged that her arguments with Phypers often escalated into physical confrontations, adding that he “hit [me] so much during our marriage it became normal”. Richards provided detailed accounts of times when Phypers allegedly threw her against walls, grabbed her arms, and verbally attacked her with slurs. She claimed that Phypers’ violent temper ‘almost killed’ her many times, even leaving her with three concussions and a black eye, photos of which were entered into evidence. The actress told the court:
“I was scared of them asking me how I got (the black eye), and I didn’t want to get Aaron in trouble. I was trying to protect him. … I hid it from my daughters; I wore sunglasses.”
What Aaron Phypers said about Denise Richards’ abuse allegations
On Wednesday, October 8, 2025, Aaron Phypers denied all physical abuse allegations in the courtroom, claiming that all of Richards’ claims were ‘made up’. The businessman also denied his estranged wife’s previous accusations that he verbally abused her or physically assaulted her by grabbing her hair, choking her, or banging her head. Addressing how people tend to do things for stars like Richards, Phypers said:
“I never physically harmed Denise Richards… I never threatened to harm her… I did not threaten to kill anybody… A lot of people like to be close to the stars. They’ll do things for them… I’ve never called her a bitch. I’ve called her a liar, yes. But not a bitch.”
Taking the stand, Phypers denied all of Richards’ claims under oath, firmly stating, “I don’t abuse my wife, no.” Addressing the black-eye incident, photos of which the actress submitted to the court, Aaron claimed that it was a self-inflicted wound while Denise was ‘under the influence of tequila’.
Aaron Phypers’ explosive claims about Denise Richards
In a previous filing, Aaron Phypers accused the actress of being the real aggressor in the relationship, stating that she had ‘attacked and harassed’ him on multiple occasions. The businessman also provided call records to the court, showing that Richards allegedly contacted him 17 times within a week after the temporary restraining order was granted. He claimed Denise had been frequently contacting his father and added:
“As well as asking other family and friends to ask me to call her so often that it should be considered harassment, demonstrating that she is not afraid of me and that she is the aggressive one.”
Amid the ugly divorce drama, Phypers’ attorney filed a motion to dissolve the temporary restraining order, which Judge Mark A. Juhas has denied. The businessman’s legal team continues to claim Richards’ testimony is exaggerated, adding that other witnesses, including Richards’ ex-husband, Charlie Sheen, and her Beverly Hills co-star Brandi Glanville, could testify to her alleged history of not being truthful and substance abuse issues.
A glamorous marriage that gradually fell apart
Years after her split from Charlie Sheen, Denise Richards fell in love with businessman Aaron Phypers in 2017. They married the following year and quickly earned a reputation as one of Hollywood’s most glamorous couples. However, beyond their multiple red carpet appearances and loved-up family moments on social media, their marriage was falling apart. Their relationship reportedly deteriorated over the past year, culminating in a divorce filing.
According to court documents, Richards and Phypers separated on July 4, 2025, and their divorce was filed on July 7, citing ‘irreconcilable differences’. Since then, their legal battle has grown increasingly bitter, with explosive accusations and emotional manipulation on both sides.
As of now, the court has yet to rule on whether Denise’s restraining order will be extended. Both parties are expected to return later this week for further testimony.
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