SEE THE PHOTOS: Denise Richards Accused of Smashing Estranged Husband Aaron Phypers' iPhone Into Smithereens
Denise Richards and estranged husband Aaron Phypers have traded abuse allegations amid their messy divorce.
Sept. 17 2025, Published 1:00 p.m. ET
Denise Richards' estranged husband, Aaron Phypers, claims he has been the one abused in their relationship, RadarOnline.com can report, and he has the photos to prove it.
Phypers filed a response to Richards' original domestic violence restraining order, throwing the onus on her.
Phypers filed for divorce from Richards on July 7.
Richards, 54, originally filed a temporary domestic violence restraining order against Phypers back in July, telling a court the 52-year-old "repeatedly abused" her throughout their six-year marriage.
Earlier this week, Phypers fired back in court documents, responding: "There is no need for such orders, as I have not abused her and will not abuse her."
In contrast, he continued, "she has been calling me and messaging me frequently." Phypers included a photo of a smashed cell phone that he said was destroyed by Richards.
He also accused his ex of keeping him from earning money, explaining, "She should support me. I believe that this entire domestic violence proceeding is merely a ruse to try to cut me off from being able to obtain spousal support."
Family Harassment
Phypers accused his ex of destroying his cell phone.
Phypers went on to accuse Richards of intruding on the lives of his father and other family members and friends, so much so that, according to the actor, "it should be considered harassment, demonstrating that she is not afraid of me and that she is the aggressive one."
He also attached an alleged text Richards sent him on August 18, asking why she was "doing this" to him.
"When this is all over. Ask yourself, why are you doing this? And to me? I’ve been so good to you, your family & your business. The threats, the stories in the press, the betrayal," he said.
"Money for your family to stay? I wish you would’ve been honest when they got here. When all of this is over and we have all moved on to new loves & others on to new clients & new cases this is what you will remember. Why did this have to go down this way…."
Abuse Allegations
He also included alleged text messaged between the couple.
Phypers filed for divorce from Richards on July 7. Since then, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum has accused Phypers of domestic violence and was granted a temporary restraining order against the wellness guru.
Richards previously said she planned to use footage from the Bravo reality show as evidence.
In a season 10 scene aired in 2020, Richards is heard telling Phypers: "Baby, don't say a f------ word. We're on camera."
He responded: "Don't tell me what to say, or I'm going to crush your f------ 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.'"
Richard's Response
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Richards has submitted what she says is her own evidence of abuse.
Richards' original complaint cites her own photos and text messages as evidence of abuse. 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."
