Denise Richards Reacts to Ex Patrick Muldoon’s Sudden Death: ‘I Am Deeply Heartbroken’
What To Know
- Actor Patrick Muldoon, known for roles on Days of Our Lives and Melrose Place, died at the age of 57 on April 19.
- Denise Richards, one of Muldoon’s close friends and exes, released a statement on April 21.
- Richards and Muldoon have a new movie, Dirty Hands, coming out on April 24.
The announcement of Days of Our Lives and Melrose Place actor Patrick Muldoon‘s death on April 19 shocked Hollywood. The actor, who was only 57, died of a heart attack.
In the aftermath of his death, his ex-girlfriend, Denise Richards, released a heartbreaking statement about her loss. Muldoon and Richards dated for several years in the late 1990s.
“This is so hard for me to put into words,” her April 21 statement on Instagram began. “I am deeply heartbroken & devastated losing you. You were my best friend & my family. We met in our first acting class, I was 19 never had an acting job and you were 21 a student at USC doing a recurring role on who’s the boss. And here we are. 36 years later. My whole adult life & I don’t know it without you. The friendship, love, support, respect & loyalty we had was unconditional and rare. You lit up every room you walked into. You are larger than life & Everyone was drawn to you. So talented & most underrated actor. And most humble.”
Her message included a video reel of photos from their time together over the years. She continued, “Everything you did was infectious. Your laugh, your kindness, your wit, your strength, your loyalty, your passion, and your zest for life. We’ve been each other’s rock. Our memories together are endless. You’ve had my back and protected me more than anyone. I don’t know what I’m going to do without you here. You’re my voice of reason & pillar of strength. Especially during this last year of pain & heartache. And now I need you more than ever, for this pain and heartache losing you. Schweetbabe we’ve had those conversations.. We thought we’d live forever or at least into our 90’s. Schweetbabe I will be looking for those signs. I need to know you’re still here with me. I love you so much & miss you dearly schweetbabe.”
Muldoon and Richards met while filming Starship Troopers, which was released in 1997. Their romantic relationship didn’t work out, but they remained close friends. The former couple posed on the red carpet together at the 2026 Saturn Awards on March 8, just over a month before Muldoon’s sudden death.
They remained incredibly supportive of each other over the years. Muldoon’s death comes just days before his new film with Richards, Dirty Hands, is set to be released on digital platforms.
Richards notably starred in Muldoon’s “Gray Again” music video, which he released in March 2025. When the Drop Dead Gorgeous star posted about the music video, she called Muldoon one of her “besties.” He appeared on Richards’ reality show, Denise Richards & Her Wild Things, in 2025 to discuss the music video. They also reunited onscreen in the 2022 movie Junkyard Dogs.
Muldoon rose to fame in the soap world playing Austin Reed on Days of Our Lives. Lisa Rinna played Austin’s sister, Billie Reed. Muldoon and Rinna had a brief relationship in the 1990s. Rinna shared a photo of herself and Muldoon on her Instagram Story and added a broken heart emoji.
Alison Sweeney, one of Muldoon’s costars on DAYS, posted on X, “This is such heartbreaking news. Pat was a rare kind of person—brilliantly talented, endlessly kind, and generous in spirit. I was so lucky to have worked with him when I first started at Days, he made me feel at ease right away. He brought his unique charm and humor to work every day. A truly gifted guy, and one who will be profoundly missed.”
