Denise Richards plans to use footage of her estranged husband, Aaron Phypers, from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills as part of her plea for a permanent restraining order against him, Us Weekly can exclusively report.
Richards, 54, submitted a list of evidence she plans to introduce at the hearing on Friday, September 8. Richards will be making the case for a long-term order of protection.
The actress claims Phypers, 52, was abusive during their marriage. Phypers adamantly denies her claims of abuse. He said he never touched her.
In court, Richards said she will use a videotape and transcript from RHOBH. The specific scene has Phypers telling Richards, “Don’t tell me what to say, or I’m going to crush you f***ing hand. Stop it.”
The scene aired in 2020 during season 10 of RHOBH. Phypers’ remark came after Richards told him, “Baby, don’t say a f***ing word. We’re on camera.”
Andy Cohen questioned Richards about the moment during the RHOBH reunion in 2020. “Yeah, he was going to crush my hand,” Richards said.
She added, “I didn’t even know that either and I played it for him and he said, ‘I don’t even remember saying that. I don’t know why I would say that, because I’m afraid of you.’”
Richards’ costars Sutton Stracke and Garcelle Beauvais said they were taken aback after viewing the footage.
Aaron Phypers Told Denise Richards He’d ‘Crush’ Her Hand in ‘RHOBH’ Clip
In her court filing, Richards also plans to use several photos and text messages to back up her claims. She will present a photo from March 26, 2020, of a bruise she received when he “pulled her off a chair by her legs.” Another piece of evidence includes a June 2023 photo that Richards claims shows bruises on her arm on a red carpet.
The alleged texts being submitted include an alleged message Denise sent to Aaron’s mom in January 2023 about the alleged abuse. Another alleged message that Richards sent to a third party regarding Phypers threatening to drive off a cliff was also submitted.
Richards said she has a text from March with a third party regarding Phypers’ guns and him “threatening himself.”
Another alleged message being used includes one from Richards to Phypers on June 13, 2025, about him having “caused a problem to her implant.”
Phypers tells Us, “[Denise] is attempting to humiliate me again, just as she did with her first ex, Charlie Sheen, six years ago today. It is the same vengeance playbook as Charlie said, ‘D and her legal posse only deal in fiction. My day in court is painfully overdue. She is behaving like a coward, and the truth will prevail.’ I, too, will be vindicated when the truth comes out.”
On Thursday, September 4, Richards and Sheen posed for photos together on the red carpet at the premiere of his Netflix documentary aka Charlie Sheen.
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As Us previously reported, Phypers filed for divorce on July 7 after seven years of marriage. He demanded spousal support from the actress.
A couple of days later, Richards filed a petition for a restraining order, accusing Phypers of abuse.
Denise Richards Accuses Ex Aaron Phypers of Leaking Her Naked Photos
Richards alleged that Phypers 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, 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.”
On July 17, Phypers addressed the claims in a statement to Us.
Phypers said, “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.”
Phypers added, “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.”
