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LOS ANGELES — Denise Richards continues to relive painful moments from her past.
On Wednesday, the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” alum, who was granted a temporary restraining order against estranged husband Aaron Phypers July 17 amid their ongoing divorce, said her ex’s alleged effort to destroy her reputation not only left her feeling ashamed and “embarrassed” but also affected her children.
According to Richards, weeks after Phypers filed for divorce from the reality TV star, the 53-year-old allegedly leaked nude photos of his estranged wife.
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Denise Richards testifies in court about the alleged photo leak by estranged husband Aaron Phypers. (Jon Kopaloff/ Getty Images )
“It’s been difficult for my daughters, especially with the naked photos,” Richards, who shares two daughters with ex Charlie Sheen, and one daughter with Phypers, told the judge during Wednesday’s court proceedings. “I’m so embarrassed and shameful as a mom. [My daughter] couldn’t go to church.”
In July, Richards petitioned the court, claiming Phypers stole her computer and “disseminated private information, including nude photographs” to various news outlets. Judge Nicole Bershon ordered that Phypers return the device within 48 hours.
On July 29, the judge forbade Phypers from distributing any “private” or “sensitive information” or any photos of a sexual nature that he may have downloaded from her phone or computer.
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“Aaron stole my laptop and sent private text messages he had stolen from my laptop without my permission. Aaron threatened that I would ‘disappear’ if I called the police,” Richards wrote in her petition for a temporary restraining order.
In a statement to People magazine, Phypers denied Richards’ allegations: “I absolutely deny the false allegations that I violated the restraining order or stole Denise’s laptop or cell phones. These claims are not only untrue — they are being weaponized to damage my reputation and distract from the truth.”
Richards was granted a temporary restraining order against estranged husband Aaron Phypers July 17 amid their ongoing divorce. (Getty Images)
During Wednesday’s hearing, Richards’ attorney, Brett Berman, put Phypers in the hot seat.
“How did you obtain [those photos],” he asked.
“I took pictures with my phone of her phone,” Phypers said. “This was stuff she was hiding from me. I didn’t think it was private. … My wife was cheating on me.”
When Berman asked Phypers if he thought disseminating this private material would have been “in violation” of Richards’ privacy, he responded, “No absolutely not. She was already sharing with someone.”
After Berman asked Phypers how he would feel if the roles were reversed, sensitive photos were released of him, he replied, “If I put it out there, I put it out there.”
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Denise Richards and Aaron Phypers faced off in court Oct. 6 through Oct. 8. (Getty Images)
Phypers filed for divorce from Richards July 7. He cited irreconcilable differences and is seeking spousal support from the “Real Housewives” star.
A judge granted Richards’ request for a temporary restraining order against Phypers amid their ongoing divorce on July 17.
“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, threaten to kill me, 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 and hack into my laptop and phone and download all of my text messages,” Richards claimed in the documents, filed July 16.
“Aaron regularly threatened to ‘break my jaw’ and would cry, beg me to stay, and promise to get help – none of which ever happened. Aaron has caused me at least three concussions.
Denise Richards allegedly received a black eye after an altercation with Aaron Phypers. (Superior Court of California)
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“Until now, I have been afraid to report Aaron to the police or file for a restraining order because he has repeatedly threatened to kill himself and me if I reported him to the police, among his other threats of harm to me and himself if he is reported for his abuse to anyone,” Richards continued.
Phypers denied all allegations of mental or physical abuse in a statement at the time.
“I want to address recent rumors and speculation that have surfaced regarding my relationship with my wife, Denise Richards,” he told People. “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.”
DENISE RICHARDS’ ESTRANGED HUSBAND FIRES BACK AT VIOLENT ABUSE ALLEGATIONS
Phypers filed for divorce in July. (Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images for Robert Gillings Productions / JOPR)
In court on Wednesday, Phypers again denied all physical abuse allegations. When asked by his attorney if he ever threatened to kill Richards, he said, “No, never.” He later added, “I don’t abuse my wife, no.”
Phypers also testified that Richards’ black eye was self-inflicted. “She said she fell, hit a pole,” Phypers said, adding that Richards had been drinking tequila.
Phypers additionally testified that Richards called him 17 times in less than a week after she was granted the temporary restraining order.
For her part, Richards acknowledged she “called five times because this was after I had seen and heard … the pictures … and hearing about the things he was saying about me in the press I was just so … finding this in itself is so scary for me,” she said, while crying on the stand.
During Monday’s proceedings, Richards described multiple allegations of physical and emotional abuse as she detailed terrifying incidents that left the mother of three fearful for her life.
At one point during the hearing, Richards pleaded for a tissue and began crying while recalling a particularly abusive event in May. Richards claimed Phypers got “very volatile” with her at the Four Seasons hotel just hours after the reality TV star had undergone multiple cosmetic surgeries – including a face-lift.
Phypers allegedly tried to search through Richards’ devices while she was sleeping. He allegedly hit her face and damaged a drain in the process.
“That is when I really, really knew that our marriage was over because there’s been physical abuse, but it kept getting worse and worse,” Richards testified. “But the fact that he did that to me five hours after coming out of a seven-hour surgery … made me feel a lot of things. Scared and vulnerable. I couldn’t walk by myself.
“And the person I looked to as my husband to protect me wasn’t anymore. That’s when I really, really knew there wasn’t going back. To do that to your wife coming out of surgery?
Richards claimed Phypers physically abused her throughout their marriage. (Getty Image)
“I felt broken and defeated and so alone and just so vulnerable because I just had an extensive surgery. Him knowing the body and wellness and working on people … and to do that to your wife?”
On Tuesday, Richards took the stand again to detail Phypers’ alleged “manic” behavior throughout their relationship.
In response to the alleged leaked photos that were released of her by Phypers, Richards sent him a video — a part of which was played in court — referring to Phypers as a “narcissist” and detailing multiple instances of alleged physical abuse.
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“You were the last person I thought would do that to me,” Richards told Phypers via video recording that was presented in court. “I don’t know why I’m having a hard time with this. Things were bad with Charlie and I, but he never hit below the belt.
“I told my dad, I just don’t know why I believed you and I loved you, and I really thought you were my soulmate,” she continued. “I never in a million years thought we were getting divorced.”
Richards denied any infidelity but accused Phypers of stepping out on their marriage.
“You can claim I cheated, but I didn’t,” she said. “You did do stuff. And I don’t care how long ago it was. The fights were so f—ing bad, especially after your family moved [into their shared home]. I tried my best to not have it be as bad as it was. I tried my hardest. I just could not do that s—show anymore.”
Phypers vehemently denied all abuse claims. (Gregg DeGuire)
“Aside from hitting me as much as you did and filing a police report … claiming that I hit you in the chest three times and scratched your eye. Like, come on,” she continued. “Low blow. And I get you’re upset that I filed the restraining order, but you hit me one too many f—ing times. Each time was getting worse and worse it was. You were manic,” she alleged.
“You were the one person that I always thought I could trust and that would protect me, and you were the f—ing opposite,” she added. “I think I’m having such a hard time because I was married to someone I never f—ing knew.”
In court documents filed Sept. 29 and obtained by Fox News Digital, Phypers’ lawyers named Richards’ ex, Charlie Sheen, and “RHOBH” alum Brandi Glanville as witnesses.
In the filing, Phypers’ attorneys stated that Sheen could testify regarding “Denise’s history of not being truthful and of drug and alcohol abuse.”
Richards and Sheen tied the knot in 2002 and were married for just under three years before Richards filed for divorce in March 2005, when she was pregnant with their second daughter, Lola. They welcomed their first daughter, Sami, one year prior.
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