Denise Richards’ six-year marriage imploded in a welter of screaming arguments about money, the Daily Mail can exclusively reveal.
Husband Aaron Phypers, 52, filed for divorce last week and demanded his actress wife cover his living expenses – totaling an eye-watering $105,000 per month.
Now, we can reveal that Richards, 54, was blindsided by his decision to file – and she’s planning her revenge accordingly.
‘They’re basically trying to hurt each other. She said the last thing she wants is another divorce, so he gave her a divorce,’ said a source close to Richards, who was previously married to actor Charlie Sheen.
‘Aaron wanted to hurt her and he has. Meanwhile, the last thing he wants is to be broke – so she’s cutting off his cash flow.’
Phypers has not worked since shutting down his Malibu wellness center, Q360 Club, in October 2024.
Aaron Phypers filed for divorce from Denise Richards last week after six years of marriage. The couple are seen together in April 2023
Insiders tell the Daily Mail that Phypers (pictured), who has been living off his wife’s funds, has massively overestimated her income
Instead, he has relied on his wife’s income, which he claimed in court was $250,000 per month, most of it earned via content subscription site OnlyFans and her now canceled reality show, Denise Richards & Her Wild Things.
‘He does a lot for her – he effectively works for her. But his family are a huge financial burden, they live in her house in Calabasas,’ the source added.
In the divorce papers, reviewed by the Daily Mail, Phypers admitted his income was ‘zero’ but included an outrageous list laying out his spending habits, including a whopping $20,000 per month on clothes.
Other items on his list included $18,000 on rent, $5,000 on repairs, $7,000 on childcare, $10,000 on groceries, $15,000 on eating out, $8,000 on utilities, $500 on his cell phone, $5,000 on laundry and $15,000 on entertainment.
He also claimed to spend $1,500 on auto expenses and asked to be awarded all his power tools and a 2018 motorcycle in the divorce.
Richards has yet to respond to the filing and is currently considering her options, but has told friends her estranged husband massively overestimated her income and said she can’t afford to meet his demands.
Richards (pictured) admitted to facing challenges in her marriage earlier this year during an episode of her now canceled reality show
The couple’s life and marriage was a focus on Bravo reality show Denise Richards & Her Wild Things, which was canceled earlier this month after one season
Despite that, those closest to her believe the pair could still reunite, with one source telling the Daily Mail: ‘They still love each other.
‘Denise has got a heart of gold and they’re both forgiving people. That they fight is not new to anyone.’
The insider added that while Richards didn’t think Phypers would file, ‘she’s p***ed off that he did.’ And, for his part, they said, ‘he didn’t think she’d keep ignoring him.’
The source continued, describing their current status as ‘one of those situations where you can be totally in love with somebody while also hating them at the same time.’
Richards admitted to facing challenges in her marriage earlier this year during an episode of Denise Richards and Her Wild Things, which was canceled by the Bravo network after just one season.
The mother-of-three said in a March episode that, ‘It’s not easy being married to me, but this is it, I’m done. I’m never getting divorced again. Even if we hate each other, I’m not gonna f****** get divorced.’
Phypers shut down Q360 Club (pictured) in October 2024, months before his and Denise’s nearly $12,000 a month lease was set to expire, the Daily Mail can exclusively reveal
Richards was previously married to wild child actor Charlie Sheen who she divorced in April 2006 and with whom she has two daughters, Lola and Sami
During the episode, Phypers chimed in that they might even live in separate houses one day, but insisted ‘We’re not gonna hate each other.’
Richards was previously married to wild child actor Charlie Sheen, 59, whom she divorced in April 2006 while pregnant with their second child, Sami.
Along with divorce papers, she also slapped Sheen with a restraining order banning him from coming any closer than 300 feet from her and their daughters.
In 2010, she was awarded sole legal custody of their children with sources citing ‘marital turmoil, sobriety issues and criminal problems’ for the decision.
The latter refers to Sheen’s 2009 Christmas Day arrest for assaulting his third wife, Brooke Mueller, in an Aspen, Colorado, property.
Sheen was later convicted of misdemeanor assault and sentenced to 30 days in rehab, 30 days of probation and 36 hours of anger management.
Richards moved on with her life and adopted a third daughter, Eloise, in June 2011. She started dating Phypers in December 2017 before marrying him less than a year later in September 2018.
The marriage got off to a rocky start when it was revealed the pair had begun dating before Phypers’ divorce from Desperate Housewives actress Nicolette Sheridan was finalized in August 2018.
Phypers later adopted Richards’ daughter Eloise.
