Denise Richards Claims She Was 'Absolutely Conned' by Estranged Husband Aaron Phypers as She Details Alleged Cycle of Abuse
Denise Richards broke down how her marriage to Aaron Phypers spiraled into alleged physical abuse.
Aug. 3 2026, Published 7:45 p.m. ET
Denise Richards has claimed her estranged husband, Aaron Phypers, transformed into a completely different person after they married, as she reflected on his alleged physical and verbal abuse in their relationship, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum, 55, got candid about both her marriage and divorce from the former holistic practitioner during an appearance on Bunnie Xo's Dumb Blonde podcast on August 3.
Denise Richards 'Absolutely' Felt Conned by Aaron Phypers
Richards claimed Phypers 'was a completely different person' from whom she married.
"Obviously, I was in an abusive marriage. It didn't start out that way physically....Physically, emotionally, financially – all of it," Richards claimed about how things devolved.
She told Bunnie, 46, "He was a completely different person than the person I married." The former couple wed in an intimate Malibu, California, ceremony in September 2018 after dating for less than a year.
When Bunnie asked Richards if she felt "conned" by Phypers, she replied, "Absolutely. Definitely. That's the hardest part of it."
'I Never Thought I Would Ever Be In This Situation'
Richards claimed estranged husband Phypers changed into a different person following their 2018 wedding.
"We were together for just over eight years and married for a little over six. I never thought I would ever be in this situation," Richards explained.
Phypsers filed for divorce on July 7, 2025, listing their separation date as three days prior. He asked for spousal support, legal fees, and numerous personal property items.
"Now I understand why people ask, 'Why didn't you leave?' or say, 'You should have known. You should have seen the signs,'" Richards stated about why she didn't pull the plug on their marriage.
"A lot of people ask me that, but I didn't. I wouldn't have married the person if I had."
Richard claimed she "learned so much" about who her estranged husband is during their separation period, noting that they split a year ago and are still not divorced.
Richards recalled how Phypers allegedly gave her a black eye.
Richards detailed how they were friends before they started dating, saying Phypers "seemed like a really good man that he was very low-key," and describing him as "a guy's guy... and just very nurturing."
The Wild Things star revealed the mask started to slip when Phypers, who is Canadian, got his green card after they married, saying that's when "things started to shift."
Richards claimed Phypers became "verbally abusive. And it was a slow burn. This wasn't overnight. It was like slowly chipping away, putting doubts in my head about certain things."
As for when the former wellness coach allegedly got physically abusive, Richards recalled, "I'll never forget the one time when he first hit me; I was so shocked. I was like, 'Oh, f---. There's no going back from this,'" after she claimed Phypers "slapped me across my face."
Richards claimed Phypers was "so remorseful" about the incident that she actually "felt bad" for him.
'He's Going to Kill Me'
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The reality star revealed she feared for her life toward the end of her marriage to Phypers.
Richards told Bunnie one of the biggest mistakes she made was agreeing to let Phypers help with her finances, even adding him as a signee to one of her accounts.
"He made me believe he was taking care of me and wanted to build a life with me. I really felt like we were building a life together," the Starship Troopers actress claimed, although she admitted that her daughter, Sami Sheen, "saw right through" Phypers from the start.
"Our normal became where I would be hit or pushed down on the ground, or some threat of something, and that became almost my normal. And I knew it was wrong, but I was so beaten down, and I didn't know how to leave," she claimed.
Richards claims Phypers had guns, which he had allegedly threatened her with, and she eventually moved out with her daughters while he remained in their leased house with his family, who moved down from Canada during COVID-19.
The Drop Dead Gorgeous star said the last straw came when Phypers allegedly slapped her while she was still hospitalized after undergoing surgery.
"But when he did that to me, when I was that vulnerable, I knew, 'He's going to kill me,'" Richards claimed.
She gave him the ultimatum of going to anger management and moving his family out of their house, but claimed things just got "worse."
Richards claimed Phypers filed for divorce behind her back shortly after she underwent a 2025 facelift, and she learned about it from Sami after it made the news.
The World Is Not Enough star recalled the last time they ever spoke was shortly after the divorce filing, when Phypers allegedly told her over the phone he wanted $100K a month in spousal support, to which Richards told him to "go f--- yourself."
