‘RHOBH’: What Happened Between Denise Richards & Aaron Phypers?
Denise Richards made her return to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills during the February 19 episode. She met up with Erika Jayne and Sutton Stracke for dinner amid drama with estranged husband Aaron Phypers.
Phypers and Richards started dating in 2017 after meeting at Quantum 360, his wellness center in Malibu. At the time, his divorce from Nicollette Sheridan was still not finalized, but it was all sorted out by the time he and Richards tied the knot in September 2018.
However, after less than seven years of marriage, Phypers filed for divorce in July 2025. Various shocking allegations about what went on behind closed doors in the pair’s relationship soon followed, and Richards opened up about all of it during her RHOBH Season 15 cameo.
What happened between Denise Richards and Aaron Phypers?
Amid their divorce proceedings, Richards accused Phypers of physical and verbal abuse, claiming she sustained both throughout the course of their marriage.
“It started a while ago,” Richards told Stracke and Jayne on RHOBH. “It was a slow burn, though. My dad asked me, he said, ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ and I said, ‘I can’t share this and stay with a person.'”
Jayne specifically referenced a photo of Richards with a black eye, which the actress said was allegedly sustained during a January 2022 altercation with Phypers. When she testified against Phypers in court in October 2025, she alleged that he gave her “at least three concussions” and told a judge that she feared for her life.
In addition to the alleged January 2022 incident, Richards detailed another instance a few months later during which Phypers allegedly “slammed me up against the concrete wall and my head hit it.” She also claimed that he “was squeezing my head so hard” and “felt like he was crushing my skull” in April 2025.
Shortly after that, Richards had a lengthy cosmetic surgery. “I had a drain and all this s**t,” she shared with Stracke and Jayne. “He ended up helping me to the toilet. I couldn’t even walk by myself. And while I’m sitting on the toilet, he’s trying to get my phone and f**king hit me on the side of my head. My drain hit the toilet paper thing and I start crying.”
At that point, Richards said she “really knew there’s no hope [of] ever salvaging this marriage at all.”
However, she didn’t end things because she had a facelift scheduled and wanted to get through that surgery first. The final straw was another alleged altercation on July 4, 2025, which Phypers listed as the date of separation in his divorce papers.
“That weekend was awful,” Richards confirmed. “It was f**king awful.” Jayne questioned, “So he’s hit you post-op twice?” and Richards clarified, “Oh yes. With a facelift. That’s why I filed a restraining order and why we’re getting divorced.”
Does Denise Richards have a restraining order against Aaron Phypers?
Yes, Richards was granted a five-year restraining order against Phypers in November 2025. The restraining order expires on November 7, 2030. Richards had previously obtained a temporary restraining order against Phypers on July 16, 2025, less than two weeks after he filed for divorce. The order was made permanent after Richards testified in court about the alleged abuse she suffered at the hands of Phypers.
Meanwhile, Phypers has continuously denied Richards’ allegations of abuse. During his testimony in court, he said, “I never physically harmed Denise Richards. I never threatened to harm her. I did not threaten to kill anybody.”
Do Denise Richards and Aaron Phypers have kids?
No, Richards and Phypers did not have any children together, although he was a father figure to her daughter, Eloise, whom she adopted as a single mother in 2011.
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Phypers never legally adopted Eloise, although Richards said in 2019 that he had. Phypers filed court documents against Richards in August 2025 and alleged that Richards never filed the adoption papers he had previously signed. Phypers claimed that being without Eloise amid the separation “caused [him] immeasurable harm and demonstrates the imbalance [Richards] maintains in this matter,” per People.
While Phypers does not have any children of his own, Richards also shares adult daughters Sami Sheen and Lola Sheen with ex-husband Charlie Sheen.
What happened between Denise Richards & Rudy Reyes?
Phypers accused Richards of having an affair with Rudy Reyes, a member of the Directing Staff (DS) on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test. Richards was a contestant on Season 3 of the show, which filmed in 2024. She only lasted two days on the course.
Phypers claimed that Richards and Reyes were having an affair for six months and said he found out about it in April 2025. He alleged that he discovered hundreds of messages between the two. Phypers claimed that Richards told him she would end things with Reyes, but he allegedly found out in July that they had hooked up again, which is allegedly what led to their Fourth of July blowout fight.
In an interview with Daily Mail, Phypers even shared alleged screenshots of some of the messages between Richards and Reyes. The alleged texts included messages that involved plans to meet up, sexy photos, and more.
While Richards has never commented on the affair rumors, Reyes told Decider in November 2025, “First of all, of course, I respect what we do on our program, and there’s trust and commitment. Every recruit on our course is in our hands, and I will never do anything that would ever jeopardize that That’s all I’ll say. I look in the mirror and I have respect and pride in myself and what I represent.”
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Season 15, Thursdays, 8/7c, Bravo
