Denise Richards’ estranged husband, Aaron Phypers, has been released on bond after his spousal abuse arrest, Us Weekly can confirm.
Phypers, 53, was released from police custody on Friday, October 17, after posting his $200,000, according to court records viewed by Us. TMZ was first to report the news, also publishing a photo of Phypers posing with his bailperson upon his release.
Us confirmed several hours earlier that Phyphers was arrested for spousal abuse at a Los Angeles courthouse, where he testified in a hearing regarding Richards’ request for a restraining order (TRO) against him.
“He’s been arrested outside the court and taken down a nearby escalator. [He] did not come back into [the] hallway,” an eyewitness told Us. “Denise is here. She’s calm and talking to her team.”
Denise Richards’ Ex Aaron Phypers Denies Abuse Allegations
A second insider, meanwhile, told Us that Phypers and his attorney both seemed “confused” about the arrest and “didn’t seem to understand that he was about to get arrested.”
Richards, 54, and Phypers got married in September 2018. He filed for divorce in July after six years of marriage before Richards sought a TRO against Phypers, alleging that her estranged spouse was abusive throughout the duration of their 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,” Richards claimed in her petition. “[He would] aggressively slam my head into the bathroom towel rack, threaten to kill me, hold me down with his knee on my back to the point where I would have to plead with him to get off me so that he would not kill me and hack into my laptop and phone and download all of my text messages.”
Denise Richards Details July 4th Fight With Aaron That Led to Divorce
Phypers, for his part, vehemently denied the accusations.
“Not true. Conjured up. I have the real evidence,” Phyphers told Us in a July statement, shutting down the claims. “I want to address recent rumors and speculation that have surfaced regarding my relationship with my wife, Denise Richards. Let me be unequivocally clear: I have never physically or emotionally abused Denise — or anyone.”
He continued, “These accusations are completely false and deeply hurtful. Denise and I, like many couples, have faced our share of challenges, but any suggestion of abuse is categorically untrue. I have always tried to approach our marriage with love, patience, and respect. I ask for privacy as we navigate personal matters, and I hope that the public and media will refrain from spreading harmful and baseless claims.”
Richards and Phyphers both appeared in court on Friday, where they each testified before a judge. In light of Phyphers’ arrest, the hearing and TRO request have been extended to November 7.
Richards was previously married to actor Charlie Sheen, with whom she shares daughters Sami and Lola, from 2002 to 2006. The Denise Richards and Her Wild Things stars is also mom to daughter Eloise, whom she adopted in 2011.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
