It seems time really does heal old wounds — and maybe rekindles a little affection along the way. Charlie Sheen recently opened up about his past marriage to Denise Richards, suggesting that there’s still a spark of love between them, even after nearly two decades apart.
During a candid conversation on the Club Random podcast with host Bill Maher, Sheen, 60, reflected on his Netflix documentary Aka Charlie Sheen, which premiered last month. Maher, 69, reminded the actor of a touching moment in the film, saying, “I also remember from the documentary Denise Richards saying, ‘He’s not at all what people think.’”
Sheen smiled at the mention and replied, “It was nice to hear that.”
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum and the Two and a Half Men star were married from 2002 to 2006 and share two daughters together. Though their relationship was notoriously tumultuous during their early years apart, the pair have shown a united front in recent years — something that was evident in Richards’ emotional cameo in Sheen’s documentary.
Maher couldn’t help but point out how heartfelt her appearance felt: “It was very sincere. I mean, she was blubbering at the time. I feel like, you know, she obviously still loves you.”
Sheen didn’t disagree, softly responding, “Yeah.” Maher then added, “Love is eternal. Passion is often not.”
Richards’ segment in the documentary revealed just how deeply she was affected by their time together. Reflecting on what she called the “three stages” of her marriage, she said, “It’s the time I met him and married him, then my divorce and then the aftermath of it.” Becoming emotional, she admitted, “I’m sorry to get so f—— emotional about it because it was a lot, and I’ve had to f—— hold it together.”
Despite the pain, Richards explained that her main focus was always their daughters. “I did want us to just pretend like everything was fine in front of the kids,” she said. “It’s not their fault we got divorced. They didn’t ask to be born into a broken family. They didn’t ask to be born into a family that is super public and all this s—.”
For his part, Sheen has owned up to his mistakes, admitting in the film that he made their relationship “a lot more difficult than it needed to be” and that he still feels “awful about that to this day.”
While both stars have moved on — Richards is currently going through a divorce from her second husband, Aaron Phypers — it’s clear there’s still a deep, unshakable bond between her and Sheen. Whether or not it’s “love” in the romantic sense, their mutual respect and shared history continue to connect them.
Sometimes, as Maher wisely put it, “Love is eternal.”
10 comments