Denise Richards is speaking out and stepping forward in what appears to be one of the most painful chapters of her life. In a deeply troubling turn of events, the actress and former reality TV star was granted a temporary domestic violence restraining order against her estranged husband Aaron Phypers after a series of disturbing allegations came to light.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Richards, 54, accused Phypers of years of both physical and verbal abuse, alleging a pattern of escalating violence that included threats to her life and his own. Richards bravely documented the trauma and the court acted quickly by granting the restraining order on July 16 from the Superior Court of California, just days after Phypers himself filed for divorce citing “irreconcilable differences.”
In her statement Richards recalled chilling moments from their marriage.
“Throughout our relationship, 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, aggressively slam my head into the bathroom towel rack,” she revealed.
One of the most shocking claims involved an incident in Malibu in 2022 when Richards said Phypers became paranoid believing that potted plants were bugged. She said he struck her in the eye with his hand and hurled a vile slur at her. A severely bruised eye was the result.
Even in public signs of abuse lingered. Richards pointed out red carpet photos from 2023 showing bruises on her arms as evidence she now believes she should not have tried to hide. “I forgot to cover them up,” she admitted.
She also alleged that Phypers owned at least eight unregistered guns and that he repeatedly told her he would “disappear” if she ever contacted the police. In one particularly disturbing moment described in the filing, he allegedly screamed “You are not cancelling my flight, I am going with you and I do not trust you” before violently grabbing her by the hair and slamming her to the ground.
For Richards this is more than a legal case. It is a long-overdue stand for her safety and well-being. She stated that Phypers “threatened to kill me and himself and the police” on multiple occasions throughout their marriage, which began in 2018.
The temporary restraining order is in effect until August 8 and requires Phypers to stay 100 yards away from Richards, her home, her workplace, and her vehicle.
Denise Richards and Aaron Phypers appeared together on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (RHOBH) during Seasons 9 and 10 (2019–2020).
Denise joined the cast in Season 9, and viewers saw her relationship with Aaron unfold onscreen, including their marriage and several tense moments between them and other cast members. Aaron was frequently seen accompanying her to events and was involved in some controversial scenes that raised eyebrows among fans.
