Denise Richards Hires Charlie Sheen's Former Lawyer to Fight Spousal Support Request
Denise Richards has enlisted the divorce lawyer previously retained by her former husband, Charlie Sheen, to contest her estranged husband, Aaron Phypers’s, request for spousal support, Us Weekly can exclusively reveal.
On December 10, Richards, 54, submitted court documents informing the court that she was replacing her previous legal representation with attorney Mark Gross, who will be joined by lawyers Ronald Brot and Yumiko Gibson in representing the actress.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star’s decision to hire Gross is noteworthy, considering his history with Sheen.
Gross did not represent Sheen during his divorce from Richards, who were married in 2002 and separated in 2006, but he did represent Sheen when the actor initiated divorce proceedings from Brooke Mueller in 2010 and the case was finalized in 2011. Sheen and Mueller, 48, have been involved in ongoing legal battles for several years, and Gross served as Sheen’s trusted advisor throughout a significant portion of that time. (Mueller recently filed court documents seeking $15 million in overdue support and accrued interest; Sheen has yet to respond.)
Richards’ new legal team acted swiftly after their engagement, filing a motion to postpone a hearing regarding Phypers’ request for monthly financial assistance.
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Gross argued that the financial information Phypers submitted was incomplete and required correction before a hearing could proceed. One specific issue highlighted by Richards’ lawyer was that Phypers’ financial records indicated ownership of the wellness center Quantum Epigenetics Consulting, “but failed to specify the number of years the business has been operating and did not disclose his income from that business.”
Richards also petitioned to have the case reassigned to a different judge. She believes that Judge Juhas, who issued a permanent restraining order against Phypers, is best positioned to evaluate whether he deserves spousal support, intending to present evidence of Phypers’ alleged abuse during any hearing concerning financial support.
“The nature and severity of the [domestic violence] will influence whether the Court will grant [support], and there is no one better suited to make that determination than Judge Juhas,” Richards’ lawyer stated.
Furthermore, Richards contended that Phypers is not entitled to a hearing on support because he , “continues to violate the order outlined in the [restraining order] that mandated he return [Richards’] laptop and other sensitive materials to [Richards], through her legal counsel, no later than November 10, 2025.”
Richards asserted that her former spouse now claims “that the laptop he took is not the laptop subject to the order. If [Phypers] is going to challenge the validity of the order issued by Judge Juhas, Judge Juhas would be in the most appropriate position to make that determination.” The judge approved Richards’ request and rescheduled the support hearing for January 7, 2026.
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As Us previously reported, Phypers filed for divorce on July 7, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the dissolution of their marriage.
In his divorce petition, Phypers requested that Richards provide him with regular financial support, alleging that she earns over $250,000 per month from OnlyFans, television appearances, and other engagements.
In recent court documents, Phypers claimed he has not generated any income in the past 12 months.
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Shortly after Phypers initiated divorce proceedings, Richards sought a restraining order from the court. She accused her estranged husband of abusive behavior during their marriage, alleging he caused her multiple black eyes. Phypers vehemently denied these accusations, claiming Richards’ injuries resulted from a fall and that he never threatened or assaulted her.
Phypers previously told Us, “These accusations are entirely false and deeply hurtful. Denise and I, like many couples, have faced our share of challenges, but any suggestion of abuse is completely unfounded.”
On October 17, Phypers was arrested at the courthouse following his testimony, during which he denied harming Richards.
Prosecutors have charged Phypers with two felony counts related to injuring a spouse and two felony counts related to attempting to deter a witness through force or threats.
The judge granted Richards a permanent restraining order on November 7 following a trial.
