Denise Richards and Patrick Muldoon were one of the It couples of the ‘90s.
The pair met in 1997 while filming Starship Troopers, which was released the following year. While they split in 2000, Richards and Muldoon stayed close friends. They even referred to each other as “schweet babe” even after their breakup.
“I’ve known Patrick Muldoon since I was 19 years old,” Richards said during a 2019 episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. “We call each other ‘schweet babe’ because we had nicknames on Starship Troopers for everyone.”
Richards and Muldoon briefly put a pause on their friendship, however, while the actress was married to Charlie Sheen.
“I did not speak to Pat when I was married to Charlie,” Richards said during a March 2025 episode of Denise Richards & Her Wild Things. “And it was hard, because I didn’t want to lose him as a friend. But toward the end of the marriage, I talked to him all the time about him.”
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Richards split from Sheen in 2006, continuing her friendship with Muldoon. When Richards married Aaron Phypers, there were no issues as far as Muldoon was concerned. (Richards and Phypers have since split and are in the midst of a tumultuous divorce.)
“Mine and Pat’s relationship romantically was years ago and it’s just a deep friendship,” she said on her Bravo show. “I’m so grateful Aaron respects that because Charlie, he had a hard time with my relationship with Pat.”
During the show, Phypers even cosigned his then-wife’s account of her relationship with Muldoon.
“Patrick and I, we have a very good relationship,” Phypers said in March 2025. “I don’t get jealous like that.”
News broke one year later that Muldoon died at age 57 in April 2026 after suffering a heart attack.
Keep scrolling to look back at Richards and Muldoon’s brief relationship and longtime friendship:
1998
Denise Richards and Patrick Muldoon started dating after they appeared in Starship Troopers.
2000
While it’s unclear exactly when they split, it’s been reported that Denise Richards and Patrick Muldoon were broken up by 2000.
“Patrick and I dated,” Richards explained during a 2019 episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. “We were on and off for quite a few years.”
2014
Patrick Muldoon took to X and celebrated Denise Richards’ birthday.
“Happy Birthday to this really hot girl I met in acting class a while back,” he wrote at the time, tagging Richards. “LOVE U!! XOXOXO.”
2015
Denise Richards and Patrick Muldoon starred together in the movie A Christmas Reunion.
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2018
Patrick Muldoon was a guest at Denise Richards’ wedding to Aaron Phypers.
2019
Patrick Muldoon’s name came up on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills when it was revealed that Lisa Rinna “had a fling” with him around the same time that Denise Richards did.
2025
Patrick Muldoon made an appearance on Denise Richards & Her Wild Things when he invited Denise Richards to star in one of his music videos.
