Los Angeles: Actor and wellness practitioner Aaron Phypers has filed for divorce from actress Denise Richards after six years of marriage, according to court documents filed Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Phypers, 52, cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split and listed July 4 as the couple’s official date of separation. The pair married in a private Malibu ceremony in September 2018 after dating for over a year.
The divorce petition includes a request for spousal support and asks that assets and debts be treated as separate property. Phypers also listed specific personal property in the filing, including his power tools, a 2018 Indian Dark Horse motorcycle, and a Shelby GT500.
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A Marriage Documented on Reality TV
Richards, 54, known for her roles in Wild Things and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, had documented her relationship with Phypers on their Bravo reality series Denise Richards & Her Wild Things. The couple presented a united front during the show’s first season, though Richards had candidly acknowledged the challenges of their relationship.
“It’s not easy being married to me,” Richards said during one episode earlier this year, to which Phypers replied, “It is not, and she said it! But this is it. I’m done.”
Despite those remarks, both had expressed a firm stance against divorce at the time. “Even if we hate each other, I’m not gonna f—— get divorced,” Richards added in the same segment. “We’ll just have different homes or something,” Phypers suggested.
Family, Health Struggles, and Past Relationships
Phypers had been involved in raising Richards’ adopted daughter Eloise, 14, who lives with a rare chromosome disorder. In 2019, Phypers began the process of legally adopting Eloise. The couple had frequently shared updates about her progress and challenges, most recently at a charity event in May.
Richards also shares two adult daughters, Sami, 21, and Lola, 20, with her ex-husband, actor Charlie Sheen. Sheen and Richards were married from 2002 to 2006.
Phypers was previously married to actress Nicollette Sheridan, finalizing their divorce in 2018 shortly before his wedding to Richards.
Reality Show Teased a Strong Front, But Trouble Brewed Off-Camera
While the couple appeared supportive of each other publicly, cracks in the relationship began surfacing. On a podcast in April, Richards’ daughter Sami said of her stepfather: “We’re not even that close. We don’t ever hang out, we never talk.”
Sami also revealed that Phypers assisted Richards with her OnlyFans content, stating, “He’s very supportive of it.”
As of publication, representatives for both Richards and Phypers have not responded to media requests for comment.
