Denise Richards has emotional recollection of traumatizing life event on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test

Denise Richards spoke candidly about a sexual assault she suffered as a teenager, during Wednesday’s season three premiere of Fox’s Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.

The 53-year-old actress-reality star chat about the traumatic life experience, which she said was triggered by an exercise on the program called a helicopter extraction, which is used by the Army Special Forces.

‘I really want to learn how to not be overwhelmed by fear – I’ve been through traumatic situations that have been very terrifying for me. I want to learn how to deal with those issues and be stronger,’ Richards said.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum was unable to complete the task, and explained to the show’s Directing Staff (DS) that she was ‘completely out of [her] comfort zone’ while attempting it and was ‘not petrified’ but instead ’emotional.’

The Downers Grove, Illinois native said on the program, ‘I’ve been through traumatic situations that have been very terrifying for me. I want to learn how to deal with those issues and be stronger.’

The DS personnel told Richards she had ‘a deer in the headlights kind of look’ and ‘froze’ in her effort.

The actress-reality star spoke about the traumatic life experience during the season three premiere of the Fox series 

The Wild Things actress, who has three daughters – Sami, 20, Lola, 19, and Eloise, 13 – responded, ‘Yes, I’m completely overcome by certain fearful situations, and I want to learn how to stay calm and do something.

‘Part of the reason I wanted to do this course is I’ve been in situations where I freeze and I can’t function, I can’t even speak to protect myself.’

Richards referenced a November 2022 road rage incident in Los Angeles, in which shots were fired at Ford F-150 Shelby truck she was a passenger in as her husband Aaron Phypers, 52, was driving.

The World Is Not Enough star said that Phypers was driving her to work when the incident occurred, and that she was so paralyzed with fear, she involuntarily urinated.

‘He didn’t want me going alone, thank God, and we were physically shot at in his truck, and I sat on the floor and was just literally, I peed,’ she said. ‘I was so scared … I froze.’

The Starship Troopers actress then wept as she spoke about the sexual assault, saying she was attacked as a teen.

‘The first time I ever experienced that I was 15 and I noticed a man following me,’ Richards said. ‘He came up from behind me, put his hand around my mouth, grabbed my vagina, and started dragging me, and I froze, like I couldn’t even scream for help.

‘It’s so scary to have that situation, you know, that age and be so vulnerable. And I have three daughters, and I want them to be able to never go through that. And also, if something, God forbid, happen to be strong enough.’

The Starship Troopers actress chat about the traumatic life experience, which she said was triggered by an exercise on the program called a helicopter extraction, which is used by the Army Special Forces 

The Bravo alum said of her motivations to compete on the program, ‘Yes, I’m completely overcome by certain fearful situations, and I want to learn how to stay calm and do something’

Richards made further remarks about the past incident in a confessional segment on the show.

‘I think that I haven’t addressed a lot of what I have gone through, and it’s very terrifying,’ Richards said. ‘I don’t know if I would be able to get over my past.’

Richards previously revealed that she ruptured her breast implants on the show, which was taped in Wales.

‘I jumped off a bridge and that’s when I ruptured my implants, off of that thing,’ Richards said Friday on Jeff Lewis Live on Sirius XM. ‘I still have to get them redone. I was supposed to a month ago, but couldn’t because we were filming.’

Other notable names competing with Richards on the Fox series include Brody Jenner, Stephen Baldwin, Kayla Nicole, Jordyn Wieber, Christy Carlson Romano, Carey Hart, Golden Tate, Cam Newton, Alana Blanchard, Landon Donovan, Marion Jones, Nathan Adrian, Kyla Pratt, Ali Fedotowsky and Trista Sutter. 

Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test airs on Fox Wednesday at 8/7c.

If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexually assault, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.