Denise Richards, former star of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, took the stand during a hearing on Monday, where she delivered an emotional account of the alleged abuse she endured during her marriage to estranged husband, Aaron Phypers. The testimony, which took place in a Los Angeles courtroom, was part of the ongoing legal battle between the two following Richards’ request for a temporary restraining order against Phypers. As she recounted her experience, the actress visibly broke down in tears, sharing painful details of the abuse she claimed to have suffered at the hands of her now-estranged husband.
The court hearing, which centered on the restraining order that Richards filed against Phypers in July 2025, allowed Richards to speak out about what she described as a history of emotional, physical, and verbal abuse during their six-year marriage. Richards, 54, told the court that Phypers, 53, frequently made violent threats against her, and that she lived in constant fear for her safety. Among the most alarming claims was Richards’ assertion that Phypers often threatened to throw her through windows or off balconies during heated arguments. In her testimony, she stated, “He’s almost killed me so many damn times.”
One of the most harrowing episodes Richards described occurred on July 4, the day she decided to ask Phypers to leave their shared townhouses. She said that Phypers became “very angry” and “volatile” during the confrontation. Richards, who had recently undergone a full facelift and was still recovering from the surgery, felt extremely vulnerable at the time. “I had just recovered from a full facelift, and I still had stitches behind my ears. I felt extremely vulnerable,” she explained, her voice shaking as she described how Phypers allegedly got close to her, grabbed her arms, and verbally attacked her.
Richards shared that Phypers’ behavior was particularly difficult to comprehend, given his career in the wellness space. “Emotionally, it was hard for me to understand,” she testified. “Especially with having what he has done for a living, working in the wellness space, that he would know how much that this would affect me emotionally too. It just made me feel vulnerable, it made me feel scared, it made me feel sad. It made me feel intimidated by him. He’s very big.” Richards said that the incident left her feeling “intimidated” and “scared,” describing Phypers as a physically imposing figure who used his size and emotional manipulation to control her.
In addition to the July 4 incident, Richards also recounted a disturbing event that took place earlier in their marriage in April. According to Richards, she and Phypers had returned from a work trip and were relaxing at home when the situation took a violent turn. While lying on the couch, Richards fell asleep, but when she awoke, she alleged that Phypers was squeezing her head with his hands. Her heart began racing as he allegedly shouted, “You f—ing b—-, I just saw you’ve been talking to Rudy,” referring to a message she had exchanged with someone named Rudy.
Richards testified that Phypers had gained access to her phone and read her messages, something she had not anticipated as she believed she had deleted them. She described feeling shocked and terrified as he became more enraged, shouting and accusing her of infidelity. “I told him to be quiet, that the girls are sleeping upstairs,” she said, referring to her daughters from a previous marriage. Richards’ testimony painted a vivid picture of a man who used his jealousy and anger to control and terrorize her emotionally.
Phypers did not testify during the hearing, but his legal team made significant moves by naming high-profile figures as potential witnesses in the case. Among the names listed were Brandi Glanville, another former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, and Richards’ ex-husband, Charlie Sheen. Phypers’ lawyers claimed that both Glanville and Sheen could testify to Richards’ alleged history of dishonesty, as well as struggles with substance abuse. However, Richards quickly filed an objection to this move, stating that neither Sheen nor Glanville had any relevance to the specific allegations of abuse she was bringing forward. In her filing, she asserted that they were not “percipient witnesses” to any abuse committed by Phypers.
The relationship between Richards and Sheen, who share two daughters together, has been a matter of public scrutiny for years. The couple married in 2002 but divorced in 2006 after a tumultuous three-year marriage. Their divorce was highly publicized due to Sheen’s notorious behavior and substance abuse problems. Richards filed for divorce from Phypers in July, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their separation. Richards, a mother of two, has since sought legal protection from Phypers, whose lawyers have strongly denied the allegations of abuse.
The restraining order Richards filed against Phypers includes shocking details about the physical abuse she allegedly endured throughout their marriage. In court documents, Richards claimed that Phypers had “caused me at least three concussions” and had regularly threatened her with violence, including threats to “break my jaw.” She also claimed that Phypers had threatened both her life and his own, as well as that of the police. Adding further gravity to the allegations, Richards noted that Phypers owned at least eight unregistered guns, heightening her fear of him.
