Denise Richards Details Alleged Abuse by Estranged Husband Aaron Phypers in Court
Denise Richards appeared in court to share her account of alleged mistreatment by her estranged spouse, Aaron Phypers, Us Weekly can report.
On Tuesday, October 7, the 54-year-old Richards was present at the Los Angeles Superior Court in Downtown Los Angeles for a second day, seeking to convert her temporary protective order against her former partner into a permanent one, mandating him to maintain a distance of 100 yards for the upcoming five years.
During her cross-examination, Richards faced detailed questions regarding a May surgery, for which Phypers aided her recovery. The actress testified that Phypers, 53, stayed with her “the night [she] was discharged from the surgeon,” and provided assistance for the subsequent few days. She mentioned he helped her with personal needs like using the restroom.
Richards explained that the surgical procedure aimed to repair her implants, damage she attributed to her time filming season 3 of Special Forces, and also included an abdominoplasty.
She alleged that Phypers physically assaulted her at the hotel. While testifying, Phypers’ attorney inquired if she was experiencing post-operative pain, to which she responded, “I experienced no discomfort from my surgical drain site before he struck me and forcefully pushed me against the toilet paper holder.”
Richards had detailed this alleged occurrence in her petition for a restraining order, asserting in court documents that Phypers accessed her laptop while she slept at the hotel on May 21. She further claimed that as she was in the restroom, “[Phypers] struck the top of my head with the palm of his hand while yelling at me incessantly, ‘Give me your fucking phone.” She stated, “Due to the surgery, I was disoriented and feared he might cause me severe harm, particularly as I was healing from a complicated procedure, prompting me to hand over my phone.”
Conversely, Phypers has denied all accusations of abuse, alleging that Richards fabricated these claims to divert attention from her personal issues.
On Tuesday, the former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast member additionally recounted three distinct episodes over a period of years where Phypers’ alleged mistreatment resulted in her injuries.
Recalling an April event during a return journey from Chicago, Richards testified that Phypers was “compressing [my] head with such force that my back was pressed against the floor of our hotel room.”
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The actress asserted that Phypers was repeatedly striking her head against the floor, and it “felt as if he was crushing my skull.”
Phypers’ legal counsel subsequently questioned Richards concerning the assertions made in her request for a restraining order. He inquired whether Richards contacted law enforcement after Phypers purportedly hit her eye in one particular incident. She confirmed she did not.
Upon being asked if she sought a medical evaluation for a possible concussion resulting from Phypers’ alleged attack, she stated she did not, citing Phypers’ alleged disapproval.
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Phypers’ attorney questioned Richards regarding contacting her ex-husband subsequent to the July divorce filing. She testified that she called him on September 2 to discuss the landlord of their previous marital residence visiting the property. She then denied making numerous calls to him on September 3.
The actress additionally denied sending messages to a third party to reach Phypers on August 18 but conceded to messaging him directly on August 21, several weeks following the issuance of the temporary protective order.
Phypers’ attorney inquired if Richards understood that Phypers was prohibited from communicating with her.
Her reply was, “I am aware he is required to maintain a distance of 300 feet from me.”
She explained that she transmitted the message while her father was “directly beside me, thus I felt secure.”
She proceeded to describe their separation, which occurred on July 4. She stated Phypers was present at her townhome when he grew “extremely enraged” towards her.
“I had recently recovered from a complete facelift and still had sutures behind my ears, making me feel incredibly susceptible,” she testified.
“He would approach within a few inches of my face,” Richards further stated. She recounted him calling her a “cheating whore” and “lying bitch.”
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“Emotionally, I struggled to comprehend it,” Richards declared in her court testimony. “Particularly given his profession, working in the wellness sector, that he would be aware of how profoundly this would impact me emotionally as well. It simply left me feeling vulnerable, afraid, and sorrowful. It made me feel intimidated by him. He is physically imposing.”
Richards asserted that Phypers departed the townhome and proceeded to another residence they once shared. The following day, the actress alleged her former partner and his father appeared at the townhome and issued threats to disseminate explicit photographs of her.
Richards further accused Phypers of striking the back of her left ear with the back of his hand prior to his departure from the premises.
“I still had sutures on one side of my ear … which led to some bleeding and intense pain because I had surgical cuts on both sides,” she recounted.
Richards alleged Phypers warned she would “vanish” if she contacted 911.
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Throughout her testimony, Richards also recounted numerous additional alleged instances where Phypers mistreated her during their relationship.
Phypers has vehemently refuted claims that he subjected Richards to abuse during their partnership. He informed Us, “These allegations are entirely untrue and profoundly distressing. Denise and I, much like numerous other couples, have encountered our share of difficulties, but any insinuation of abuse is unequivocally false. I have consistently endeavored to conduct our marriage with affection, forbearance, and esteem. I request discretion as we address personal affairs, and I trust that the public and media will refrain from circulating damaging and unsubstantiated assertions.”
As Us earlier conveyed, Phypers initiated divorce proceedings on July 7. He indicated their marriage date as September 8, 2018, and their separation date as July 4, 2025. He sought alimony from Richards, citing her reported monthly income of $250,000.
Should you or an acquaintance be enduring domestic violence, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for discreet assistance.
