'He Was Going to Crush My Hand': Denise Richards to Show Judge Tell-tale 'RHOBH' Footage of Ex Aaron Phypers in Desperate Bid for Restraining Order
Denise Richards accused Aaron Phypers of physical abuse.
Sept. 6 2025, Published 11:30 a.m. ET
Denise Richards has accused her estranged husband, Aaron Phypers, of physical and emotional abuse in newly filed court documents, escalating their already contentious divorce, RadarOnline.com can report.
Phypers, 52, has denied the allegations, calling them “completely false and deeply hurtful.”
Denise Richards's Accusations
Phypers denied abuse allegations.
The actress, 53, says she will use footage from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills as evidence.
In a season 10 scene aired in 2020, Richards is heard telling Phypers: "Baby, don't say a f***ing word. We're on camera."
He responded: "Don't tell me what to say, or I'm going to crush your f***ing hand. Stop it."
During the RHOBH reunion that year, host Andy Cohen pressed Richards about the incident.
She recalled: "Yeah, he was going to crush my hand. I didn't even know that either and I played it for him and he said, ‘I don't even remember saying that. I don't know why I would say that, because I'm afraid of you.'"
Her costars Sutton Stracke and Garcelle Beauvais both said they were stunned by the footage.
Richards' Filing
Richards also recently accused Phypers of being physically violent, leaving her with a black eye.
Richards' filing cites photos and text messages as evidence. One photo from March 26, 2020, allegedly shows a bruise she sustained when Phypers "pulled her off a chair by her legs".
Another, from June 2023, appears to show bruises on her arm taken while attending a red-carpet event. Richards also submitted alleged text messages, including one she sent to Phypers' mother in January 2023 about the alleged abuse.
Other texts reportedly describe Phypers threatening to drive off a cliff, making threats involving firearms, and, in one June 2025 message, Richards telling him he had "caused a problem to her implant".
Richards went on to allege in her restraining order petition that Phypers would "frequently violently choke me, violently squeeze my head with both hands, tightly squeeze my arms, violently slap me in my face and head, aggressively slam my head into the bathroom towel rack, threaten to kill me, hold me down with his knee on my back to the point where I would have to plead with him to get off me so that he would not kill me."
Phypers Defends Himself
Denise Richards has accused Aaron Phypers of trashing their home amid their messy divorce.
Phypers strongly rejected the claims in a recent statement.
He said: "I want to address recent rumors and speculation that have surfaced regarding my relationship with my wife, Denise Richards. Let me be unequivocally clear: I have never physically or emotionally abused Denise — or anyone.
"These accusations are completely false and deeply hurtful. Denise and I, like many couples, have faced our share of challenges, but any suggestion of abuse is categorically untrue. I have always tried to approach our marriage with love, patience, and respect. I ask for privacy as we navigate personal matters, and I hope that the public and media will refrain from spreading harmful and baseless claims."
Denise Richards Compared to Charlie Sheen
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Richards’ filing cites photos and text messages as evidence.
Phypers accused Richards of using a "vengeance playbook", comparing her to Charlie Sheen.
He claimed: "(Denise) is attempting to humiliate me again, just as she did with her first ex, Charlie Sheen, six years ago today.
"It is the same vengeance playbook as Charlie said, 'D and her legal posse only deal in fiction. My day in court is painfully overdue. She is behaving like a coward, and the truth will prevail.' I, too, will be vindicated when the truth comes out."
Phypers filed for divorce on July 7 after seven years of marriage, requesting spousal support. Days later, Richards sought a restraining order. On September 4, she appeared alongside Sheen at the premiere of his Netflix documentary, aka Charlie Sheen, where the two posed together on the red carpet.
