Denise Richards tearfully spoke during an emotional court hearing Tuesday about the years of alleged abuse she suffered at the hands of her estranged husband, Aaron Phypers.
The “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” alum testified in Los Angeles Superior Court that the former wellness center owner gave her “at least three concussions,” according to People magazine.
Ms Richards, who was fighting in court to make a temporary restraining order against Fipers permanent, added that the alleged assault made her “sick” and “nauseous”.
She claimed that the incident took place on January 17, 2022, resulting in a black eye.
The “Wild Things” star said the second incident happened between March and May 2022, when she claimed Phypers “slammed[her]into a concrete wall and hit[her]head.”
The third incident is said to have occurred in April 2025. Ms. Richards claimed on the stand that during the fight her then-husband was “squeezing[her]head so hard” that he “lifted[her]head up.”
“It felt like he was crushing my skull,” the Bravo alum testified, adding that a concussion was diagnosed by a chiropractor who can evaluate sports injuries, but no other medical professionals were available.
Richards also spoke about a fourth incident that allegedly occurred recently.
In May, she testified that “[Fypers]repeatedly yelled, ‘Give me your phone,’ and then punched[her]on the top of the head with the palm of his hand,” Us Weekly reported.
“I was disoriented from the surgery and was worried that he would seriously injure me, as I was recovering from a particularly complex surgery, so I gave him my phone.”
Ms. Fipers’ own cousin corroborated some of the abuse claims in court Monday. Kathleen McAllister testified in January 2022 that she “witnessed Aaron punch Denise and the blackness in her eye quickly worsened.”
“I am still literally in shock about it,” further claimed a relative who worked with Cousin at his holistic healing center from 2017 to 2022.
However, Phypers has denied all allegations of abuse against Richards, insisting in court documents previously obtained by Page Six: “I have not and will not abuse her.”
Instead, he accused his estranged wife of harassing him, and a source close to Phypers recently claimed that Richards’ claims were “a gross bullying tactic of lies and an onslaught of legal maneuvering to drown out the truth.”
“Aaron will be vindicated when the truth comes out. The Fipers family has been destroyed by Dennis’ lies,” Fipers’ rep told Page Six in a statement on Tuesday.
In her horrifying testimony, Ms Richards also claimed Mr Phypers had “almost killed” her “on numerous occasions”.
She recalled that the former couple had a big fight on July 4th, which led to Fipers filing for divorce.
“He was very angry with me, emotionally unstable, and very close to me. I had just recovered from full cosmetic surgery, still had stitches behind my ear, and felt very vulnerable,” Richards, 54, testified.
She claimed the “Dirty Hands” actor grabbed her arm and called her a “cheater, con artist, liar,” and other name-calling.
Fipers, 53, has repeatedly accused Richards of cheating on her and having an ongoing affair with Rudy Reyes, a former Special Forces instructor.
“I have personally struggled with the painful truth that Denise has an ongoing affair with Rudy Reyes, a ‘Special Forces’ instructor, which I confronted her about earlier this year,” he claimed in an explosive letter previously obtained by Page Six.
“She begged me not to leave, saying there was nothing, she just loved me. After that, she denied everything, even the explicit messages I found.”
Neither Richards nor Reyes have made any mention of the affair allegations.
The restraining order case is ongoing, and if the judge sides with Richards, Phypers would be ordered to stay 100 yards away from his estranged wife for the next five years.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
