The divorce case between actress Denise Richards and her estranged husband Aaron Phypers has grown increasingly bitter, with both sides now presenting conflicting accounts of their troubled marriage.
Phypers, 53, filed for divorce from the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star on July 7, 2025. Shortly afterward, Richards, 54, accused him of domestic violence and claimed that he repeatedly abused her throughout their relationship. In response to those allegations, a judge granted Richards a temporary restraining order against him.
But newly obtained court documents, reviewed by People, show that Phypers has denied her accusations and portrayed Richards as the aggressor. “There is no need for such orders, as I have not abused her and will not abuse her,” Phypers said in his legal filing.
The Leap actor alleged that Richards was the one who harassed and attacked him on multiple occasions. He described incidents where Richards allegedly invaded the privacy of his family members. “She barged aggressively and forcefully into other family members’ living spaces, including my brother’s room (which he recorded), violating his privacy rights and looking through his personal property,” Phypers claimed to Page Six.
In another incident, Phypers accused Richards of destroying his phone. “Denise violently smashed my cell phone, placed it in a trash can buried under bags of trash, and then lied about, claiming she had not taken my phone,” he stated in the documents.
These new claims mark a sharp turn in what has already been a contentious split. Richards, best known for her roles in Wild Things and The World Is Not Enough, has maintained that she endured abuse during her seven-year marriage. The restraining order she obtained underscores the seriousness of her allegations, though Phypers is now fighting back with accusations of his own.
The couple’s relationship, once seen as a fresh start for Richards following her high-profile divorce from actor Charlie Sheen, has now unraveled publicly. Richards and Phypers married in 2018, and for years, they presented themselves as a blended family committed to raising Richards’ three daughters.
The legal battle, however, paints a far different picture, with both parties leveling serious accusations that could shape the court’s decision on future proceedings.
As the divorce continues to play out, the case has drawn widespread attention not only because of Richards’ celebrity status but also because of the disturbing claims made on both sides. With restraining orders, counter-allegations, and escalating legal maneuvers, what began as a private separation has turned into a very public war of words.