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Denise Richards’ days as a Bond Girl couldn’t have prepared her for the rocky road she would travel to find love.
After starring in a slate of television shows in the early 1990s, Richards hit the proverbial jackpot with a role in the cult classic flick “Starship Troopers,” which was followed by her iconic portrayal as Kelly Van Ryan in the erotic thriller “Wild Things.”
While Richards established herself as one of Hollywood’s hottest stars, she also became known for her love life. Richards, 54, endured a tumultuous three-year marriage with Charlie Sheen, and most recently spent hours in court testifying about the alleged abuse she experienced at the hands of her estranged husband, Aaron Phypers.
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Denise Richards skyrocketed to fame as a Bond Girl and then made headlines for her challenging relationship with ex-husband Charlie Sheen. (Tommy Garcia via Getty Images)
Her role as nuclear physicist Dr. Christmas Jones in the 1999 James Bond film “The World Is Not Enough” drew both praise and criticism but also cemented her status as a bona fide movie star.
It was during a guest stint on “Spin City” in 2001 where Richards met Charlie Sheen. She “made the first move kissing him” and once told People magazine that by the second date she “knew that this is the one, but I wouldn’t tell him that.”
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“I didn’t want to scare him away by saying, ‘You’re my future husband!’ and have him run for the hills,” Richards added.
The former couple tied the knot in 2002 and welcomed daughter Sami in 2004. Richards filed for divorce while she was six months pregnant with their daughter, Lola. The couple briefly tried to reconcile their marriage shortly after her birth but ultimately decided to part ways.
Denise Richards starred as Dr. Christmas Jones alongside Pierce Brosnan in “The World Is Not Enough.” (Keith Hamshere)
Richards met Charlie Sheen in 2001 and the actors married the following year. (Jim Spellman/WireImage)
“He had been sober for about four years and very committed to his sobriety,” Richards said during an episode of her reality show, “Denise Richards & Her Wild Things.”
“I never thought someone that committed could fall off and fall back into that because I, at the time, hadn’t really been around it.”
Two years after filing for divorce, Richards and Sheen were deemed legally able to marry other people, though their divorce had not yet been finalized, according to People.
Richards struggled with guilt for years over the idea that she had split up the family, but knew it was time to separate from Sheen.
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“I said to myself, ‘Would I want my daughters married to this man?’” Richards told Caroline Stanbury in 2022 on the “Divorced Not Dead” podcast. “No offense to him, but I think he would take that and understand what I’m saying, and that’s when I was like, ‘Well, why am I accepting this?'”
The former couple then entered a heated custody battle over their daughters.
Two years after filing for divorce, Richards and Sheen were deemed legally able to marry other people. (Getty Images)
Fast-forward to 2016, Richards sued Sheen for $1.2 million for allegedly not providing financial support to their daughters. Sheen allegedly evicted Richards from a house he provided her and their two children.
In 2021, a court ruled that Sheen was required to pay Richards “zero dollars per month” in child support, starting from Aug. 1, 2018, People reported.
Richards told Stanbury that she attempted to shield her children from Sheen’s very public battle with substance abuse.
“I did shelter them a lot, and then they started to get to an age where ‘so and so said this,’ and I lied my a– off and covered for him,” she said. “Now, as they’re starting to get older, they’re more aware of more things. That’s why I say I don’t know if I did them a disservice when they were younger.”
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Following her relationship with Sheen, Richards began dating Canadian actor Aaron Phypers in 2017 after the pair met at his healing center in Malibu.
Denise Richards met Aaron Phypers at his healing center in Malibu. (Gregg DeGuire)
Richards recalled that Phypers “works with a lot of different people with a lot of different things,” she told the Daily Dish in 2019. “We would start talking about different things because we knew a lot of the same people and same interests.”
On the heels of his own divorce with “Desperate Housewives” actress Nicollette Sheridan after a six-month marriage, Phypers proposed to Richards in 2018. They were married on Sept. 8 — two days after announcing their engagement.
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“[Aaron] really wanted to marry on September 8 because eight means infinity. We called [wedding planner] Mindy Weiss, and she did it in less than 48 hours, and it was beautiful,” Richards told People at the time.
Phypers was in the process of adopting Richards’ daughter Eloise, whom the actress adopted in 2011, but it’s unclear if the adoption ever became official. Phypers filed for divorce from Richards on July 7. He cited irreconcilable differences and is seeking spousal support from the “Real Housewives” star.
The exes were married for six years before Phypers filed for divorce in July. (Jon Kopaloff)
Richards was initially granted a temporary restraining order against Phypers in July on allegations of physical and emotional abuse she endured throughout their marriage, including an alleged violent incident around the time he filed for divorce.
The “Drop Dead Gorgeous” actress testified in court last week that Phypers attempted to destroy her reputation during the fallout of their relationship, and at one point, leaked nude photos of Richards.
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“It’s been difficult for my daughters, especially with the naked photos,” Richards told the judge during court proceedings. “I’m so embarrassed and shameful as a mom. [My daughter] couldn’t go to church.”
Fox News Digital’s Janelle Ash contributed to this report.