Denise Richards returned to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills with a candid update on the demise of her marriage to Aaron Phypers.
During Season 15, Episode 10, Denise met up with Erika Jayne and Sutton Stracke, just weeks after she filed for divorce, and answered the ladies’ questions about what happened between her and Aaron. Erika broached the subject by bringing up a photo of Denise with a “black eye,” which appeared on screen.
Denise confirmed that it was not “a one-time thing,” before detailing a pair of alleged physical incidents that she said occurred while she was recovering from different cosmetic procedures. By her account, she “couldn’t even walk” by herself, post-surgery, and so Aaron had helped her reach the bathroom.
“And when I’m sitting on the toilet, he was trying to get my phone and f–king hit me on the side of my head,” she claimed. “I started crying. I’m like, that’s when I really knew there was no hope at ever, ever salvaging this marriage at all.”
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In a statement that was shown during the episode, Aaron denied having ever “physically or emotionally abused Denise,” referring to the accusations as “completely false and deeply hurtful.”
Denise eventually filed for divorce after six years of marriage in July 2025, after what she referred to on RHOBH as an “awful weekend” with Aaron. At the time, she was recovering from an additional surgical procedure, a facelift, when she said Aaron “hit” her again.
“That’s why I filed a restraining order and why we’re getting divorced,” Denise told Erika and Sutton.
How Erika Jayne supported Denise Richards amid her divorce from Aaron Phypers
Though Erika and Denise had their issues in the past, the two made amends roughly a year earlier, as previously seen on Denise Richards & Her Wild Things.
“Last year, Denise reached out to me to meet up,” Erika explained in a confessional. “Even when we weren’t getting along, Denise reached out to me, throughout all the Tom [Girardi] stuff and she said, ‘I’m very sorry for you. I know this is very hard.’ And I really appreciated that. I never forgot that. I don’t want to see anyone hurt like that.”
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During their sit-down, Denise revealed that Erika was actually the second person to text her (after ex-husband Charlie Sheen) when her divorce from Aaron began making headlines.
“When I saw all of this go down, I wanted you to know that I’m thinking of you and I only want what’s best for you,” Erika told her.
After Denise expressed appreciation for her support in a time when she felt “alone,” Erika shared that she recently “went through” a similar experience with a romantic partner and understood that “lonely, isolating feeling.”
The RHOBH cast shared updates on Denise Richards today
In a segment from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills After Show, which was filmed in January 2026, Erika reflected on her and Denise’s conversation from the previous summer.
“I thought Denise was very brave,” Erika remarked, adding that she was “glad” that she shared her story.
As for where their friendship stands today, Erika said that she saw Denise during BravoCon 2025 weekend in November and had been meaning to link with her ever since then.
“She text me, and I need to text her back,” Erika admitted. “Denise has a very good heart. At her core, I think that she is a sweet soul.”
As the other RHOBH ladies revisited their own past interactions with Aaron, Kathy Hilton said that Denise had recently been at her home over the holidays.
“I think that she has just been going through hell,” Kathy added, before referencing Denise and Aaron’s legal battle. “It’s a lot. It’s really affected her, and she’s just very sensitive, but strong.”
Get more details on what Denise said about her “painful” year and what’s next for her in 2026.
