'RHOBH' Alum Denise Richards Ordered to Pay Ex Aaron Phypers Eye-Popping Monthly Spousal Support Amid Bitter Divorce Battle
Denise Richards was ordered to pay Aaron Phypers on the fifth of each month.
Feb. 27 2026, Published 2:18 p.m. ET
A bombshell new development has arisen in the contentious divorce between Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Denise Richards and her ex Aaron Phypers, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
According to the latest from their ongoing courtroom drama, Richards, 55, must issue monthly support payments to Phypers, 53.
What Does Denise Richards Owe Aaron Phypers?
Denise Richards is responsible for paying $25,000 in Aaron Phypers' legal fees.
The court ruling took place on February 25, during which the Wild Things star was ordered by a judge to pay Phypers $5,000 per month in temporary spousal support.
There was no end date set for when Richards can stop paying her ex, as the judge ruled payments must continue until the court orders otherwise.
The money will be due on the 5th of each month, with the first beginning on Thursday, March 5.
The court additionally ruled Richards will be responsible for covering $25,000 in attorneys fees for Phypers, as well as $5,000 to pay for a forensic accountant.
Aaron Phypers' Debt Revealed
Aaron Phypers' expenses included thousands in back rent.
In December 2025, Phypers revealed his alarming financial distress as he petitioned the court for financial support from Richards.
In court documents obtained by Us Magazine, he broke down his expenses, which included $15,000 for rent, $1,500 for health care, $2,000 for going out to eat, $1,300 for his cell phone, $3,200 for laundry and cleaning, $4,800 for groceries and household supplies, and $3,000 for automobile expenses.
He also reported another $61,000 in debt.
Phypers reportedly had a total debt of $850,000, which included $180,000 owed to his landlord for back rent and repairs, $120,000 for back rent on his former office space, $230,000 for a loan he took from a man, $250,000 to a company named High Velocity Admin., $50,000 to his attorney and $20,000 to another law firm.
Denise Richards' Final Breaking Point in Her Marriage
Denise Richards accused Aaron Phypers of abuse.
As Radar previously reported, a Hollywood insider revealed Richards' final straw in their marriage was when she was recovering from surgery and Phypers allegedly "hit her."
"To her, this was the breaking point in her marriage that there was no coming back from, and she knew it wasn't fixable," a source shared in November 2025. "She also broke down in court during this testimony. It was very upsetting to her, and anyone witnessing her testimony could tell the amount of pain she was in."
Before that pivotal moment, the insider shared Richards had provided Phypers with some conditions that "would need to take place" for them to remain together, including him attending anger management. He is said to have not complied. This, coupled with him allegedly hurting her while she was recovering from surgery, made her feel "there just was no moving forward."
Denise Richards Was 'Relieved' Her Marriage Was Over
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A source claimed Aaron Phypers was 'begging for' Denise Richards back after he 'pulled the trigger' and filed for divorce.
Richard had an additional surgical procedure she had to recover from, and the insider detailed she planned to leave Phypers after she was back on her feet so she didn't further stress herself out.
"The weekend of the 4th of July, he was acting manic all weekend, and both he and his dad threatened to put pictures of Denise on the Internet," the insider detailed. "At this point, she'd truly had enough and texted his mom saying it’s probably for the best they get a divorce and that if he didn’t stay away from her, she was going to file a restraining order."
"Aaron thought he was going to have the upper hand and pulled the trigger by filing for divorce first. His family likely was convincing him to do this as they figured he’d probably qualify for spousal support."
While they noted Phypers ended up "begging for her back, having realized the grave mistake he had made in filing for divorce," Richards was "relieved the marriage was over."
To date, the two remain locked in their divorce battle with no clear end in sight.
