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Denise Richards is opening up about an alleged betrayal in her tumultuous marriage to estranged husband Aaron Phypers.
During an appearance on “The Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg Show,” Richards got candid about the financial toll of her marriage to Phypers, claiming she unknowingly paid the salary and severance of a woman he was allegedly having an affair with.
“A woman he was having an affair with at his work, an employee. I paid her payroll, her severance,” Richards said during the Oct. 13 episode. “I don’t know how she looked me in the face.”
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Denise Richards claims she unknowingly paid the salary and severance of Aaron Phypers’ mistress. (Getty Images; The Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg Show)
The former “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star, who has been embroiled in a bitter divorce and legal battle with Phypers for over a year, said she didn’t discover the alleged infidelity, plus “multiple” other affairs, until the couple separated.
Representatives for Richards and Phypers did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
The latest allegations come nearly a year after Richards was granted a five-year restraining order against Phypers following a contentious court battle involving accusations of physical and emotional abuse.
Richards was granted the permanent restraining order on Nov. 7, 2025, after accusing Phypers of abuse. The order is set to expire Nov. 7, 2030.
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Richards has a restraining order against Phypers after alleging he physically abused her. (Getty Images)
Phypers was arrested in court in October 2025 on spousal abuse charges stemming from two separate incidents in 2017 and 2022, according to documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
Richards testified in court at the time that Phypers attempted to destroy her reputation during the fallout of their relationship, and, at one point, allegedly leaked nude photos of the “Drop Dead Gorgeous” actress after she claimed he stole her laptop.
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Aaron Phypers and Denise Richards visit SiriusXM Studios on Jan. 3, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. (Robin L Marshall/Getty Images)
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“It’s been difficult for my daughters, especially with the naked photos,” Richards, who shares two daughters with ex-husband Charlie Sheen and one daughter with Phypers, told the judge during court proceedings. “I’m so embarrassed and shameful as a mom. [My daughter] couldn’t go to church.”
In a statement to People, Phypers denied Richards’ allegations.
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During the same 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.
Denise Richards allegedly received a black eye after an altercation with Aaron Phypers. (Superior Court of California)
“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.”
