Denise Richards Has Accused Aaron Phypers of Abuse
Less than two weeks after filing for divorce, Denise Richards has been granted a temporary restraining order against her husband, Aaron Phypers. In a court filing on Wednesday, Richards said Phypers repeatedly abused her throughout their six-year marriage.
In the filing, Richards detailed the alleged abuse by Phypers, writing that he would “frequently violently choke me, violently squeeze my head with both hands, tightly squeeze my arms, violently slap me in my face and head, [and] aggressively slam my head into the bathroom towel rack.” Richards said she suffered “at least three concussions” due to the alleged abuse. She also included a photo of herself with a black eye in the filing.
Phypers also allegedly threatened to kill Richards several times, and Richards said he told her he owns “at least eight unregistered guns.” At times, the abuse apparently left her in fear for her life, noting that he would “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.”
In the filing, Richards detailed an instance of alleged abuse that she says happened earlier this month. On July 4, she alleged, he “repeatedly got within two inches of my face and screamed at me degrading profanities including calling me a ‘c- - - whore’ and a ‘piece of shit.’” The next day, she said, he “chased me and grabbed both of my arms forcefully and pushed me and dragged me to the ground.”
Richards said she thought about reporting him to police multiple times but was too afraid, noting “he has repeatedly threatened to kill himself and me” if she did so.
Phypers told TMZ Thursday the allegations are “not true.” “I have all the details,” he said. “She is creating a story to save her image reporting a conjured up story when I have all the real evidence.”
In a statement sent to People, Phypers denied Richards’s claims again. “I want to address recent rumors and speculation that have surfaced regarding my relationship with my wife, Denise Richards,” he told the tabloid. “Let me be unequivocally clear: I have never physically or emotionally abused Denise — or anyone. These accusations are completely false and deeply hurtful. Denise and I, like many couples, have faced our share of challenges, but any suggestion of abuse is categorically untrue. I have always tried to approach our marriage with love, patience, and respect.”
The Cut has reached out to Richards’s representatives for comment and will update this post if we hear back.
This post has been updated.
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