Denise Richards Secures Permanent Protective Order Against Ex Aaron Phypers After Courtroom Drama
In a decision following several days of intense courtroom proceedings, Denise Richards secured a permanent protective order against her former spouse, Aaron Phypers, as confirmed by Us Weekly.
A judge in the Los Angeles Superior Court issued Richards' requested injunction on Friday, November 7, mandating that Phypers, aged 53, maintain a distance of at least 100 yards from her and her professional locations, and prohibits any form of communication. This protective measure will remain in effect until November 7, 2030.
Furthermore, he received an order prohibiting him from owning any firearms.
Richards, 54, initially obtained a temporary protective order on July 16, shortly after Phypers initiated divorce proceedings, having alleged marital abuse.
Throughout the multi-day trial, which commenced on October 6, both Richards and Phypers presented their testimonies in court.
Richards recounted numerous occasions of Phypers engaging in physical altercations with her.
Richards brought up a purported incident in May, occurring post-surgery, when Phypers was reportedly helping her with her recuperation.
She asserted that he struck her in a hotel suite.
Richards testified that during a moment in the restroom, “[Phypers] forcefully struck the top of my head with his open hand, yelling incessantly, ‘Give me your goddamn phone.”
Aaron Phypers' Relative States He 'Assaulted' Denise Richards, ‘Intimidated’ Kin
She stated, “Due to my post-surgical disorientation, I feared he might inflict serious harm upon me, particularly as I was recuperating from an intricate procedure, which led me to hand over my phone.”
The performer indicated that she frequently suffered physical harm due to Phypers’ mistreatment.
Kathleen McAllister, Phypers’ cousin and an employee at his wellness facility, alleged witnessing him physically attack Richards in January 2022.
“I observed Aaron strike Denise, and she instantly developed a severe black eye,” McAllister declared on the stand. “I am, to this very day, completely stunned by the incident.”
Phypers strongly denied any physical contact with Richards, asserting instead that she was responsible for damaging his phone during an argument.
Denise Richards Recounts Independence Day Altercation With Aaron Preceding Divorce Filing
During the proceedings, Phypers further contested his cousin’s testimony about witnessing him strike Richards. While acknowledging his cousin's presence at the time of the event, he asserted that Richards sustained her purported injuries by falling against a pole.
Phypers additionally informed the court that he was not responsible for any concussions Richards might have sustained.
Aaron Phypers Suggests Denise Richards Is Prone to Bruising During Court Interrogation
In her application for the protective order, the former star of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills detailed to the court, “Aaron would repeatedly and aggressively choke me, forcibly squeeze my head with both hands, tightly grip my arms, violently slap my face and head, aggressively force my head against the bathroom towel rack, issue death threats, pin me down with his knee on my back until I begged him to release me to prevent my death, and unlawfully access my laptop and phone to download all my text messages.”
Phypers had earlier conveyed to Us, “These allegations are entirely unfounded and profoundly distressing. Denise and I, akin to many relationships, have navigated various difficulties, but any insinuation of abuse is unequivocally false.”
