Denise Richards and Aaron Phypers' divorce has escalated, with a Los Angeles judge ordering Richards to pay Phypers $5,000 per month in temporary spousal support and $30,000 in legal and forensic-accounting fees. The order, issued on 26 February 2026, follows a contentious divorce that began when Phypers filed for divorce on 7 July 2025, citing irreconcilable differences after nearly seven years of marriage.
Relationship Timeline and Marriage
Denise Richards and Aaron Phypers met in June 2017 at his Malibu wellness clinic, Quantum 360, where Richards was seeking anti-ageing and DNA repair treatments. Their relationship quickly became serious, and they got engaged in January 2018, keeping it private until later that year. Phypers' divorce from actress Nicollette Sheridan was finalised on 17 August 2018, and Richards and Phypers married on 8 September 2018 in a private beachside ceremony in Malibu, California.
During their marriage, Phypers appeared alongside Richards on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and Richards later starred in the reality show Denise Richards & Her Wild Things, which premiered on Bravo in March 2025. In March 2025, during the premiere, Richards joked about the challenges of marriage, saying, "I'm never getting divorced again. Even if we hate each other, I'm not gonna f---ing get divorced." Phypers responded, "We'll just have different homes or something. But we're not gonna hate each other."
Abuse Allegations and Restraining Order
Days after Phypers filed for divorce, Richards sought a temporary domestic violence restraining order, accusing Phypers of severe physical, verbal, and digital abuse throughout their marriage. She alleged he caused her at least three concussions, frequently choked her, and threatened to kill both her and himself. In court documents obtained by TMZ, Richards wrote, "Throughout our relationship, Aaron 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." Phypers denied the allegations, telling TMZ, "Not true. I have all the details. She is creating a story to save her image reporting a conjured up story when I have all the real evidence."
The court granted a temporary order requiring Phypers to stay at least 100 yards away from Richards, her home, vehicle, and workplace, and to surrender any firearms. On 19 August 2025, Richards filed a motion to evict Phypers from their Calabasas rental home, claiming he had stopped paying rent. On 17 October 2025, Phypers was arrested inside the courthouse on a felony warrant, charged with two felony counts of injuring a spouse and two felony counts of witness intimidation. He was released on a $200,000 bond. On 7 November 2025, a judge granted Richards a five-year permanent restraining order, set to remain in effect until 7 November 2030, citing evidence of "classic domestic violence" and finding that Phypers had shared Richards' private text messages and photos online.
Financial Orders and Contempt Proceedings
On 26 February 2026, the judge ordered Richards to pay Phypers $5,000 monthly in temporary spousal support, starting 5 March, plus $25,000 in attorney fees and $5,000 for a forensic accountant, totaling $30,000. According to People magazine, the ruling concerned the financial needs of the divorce proceedings and was separate from Phypers' pending criminal case.
On 21 July 2026, Phypers filed court documents asking that Richards be held in contempt, claiming she had not made full temporary spousal-support payments. As documented by US Weekly, Phypers alleged Richards had made only partial payments and still owed $13,500 in spousal support and $28,000 in attorney fees, totaling $41,500. He also accused her of "stonewalling" the divorce by failing to provide additional paperwork. A hearing on his contempt request is scheduled for 14 September 2026.
Denise Richards and Aaron Phypers' relationship, which began with a quick romance and marriage in 2018, has ended in a highly public divorce with serious allegations and ongoing legal and financial disputes, marking a complicated chapter in Richards' personal life.
