Denise Richards’ estranged husband Aaron Phyper’s request for temporary spousal support has been granted.
In a landslide victory for Mr. Phypers in court Thursday, Mr. Richards was ordered to pay his former defendant $5,000 a month plus $30,000 in attorney fees.
Judge Nicole Vershon clarified that the large sum applied only to the divorce proceedings and not to Fipers’ criminal defense.
The 53-year-old is charged with four felonies, two counts of causing particular injury to a spouse and two counts of coercion or intimidation to dissuade a witness, all of which he denies.
The $30,000 will be paid in three installments, with the first $10,000 due at the end of March.
For the $5,000 monthly bill, Mr. Vershon broke down $2,000 a month for Fipers’ rent, $1,000 for the car, $1,000 for food, and the rest as miscellaneous expenses.
Fipers claimed at the hearing that he only had $200 to his name, saying the amount was “certainly helpful,” but said he was taking things “one day at a time.”
When the decision was made, Richards tweeted that she couldn’t “afford” to pay the bill, according to the California Post.
The 55-year-old “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star explained that she “could barely afford the legal fees” and “did everything” during her marriage to Phypers between 2018 and 2025.
She added that she had invested “nothing” and her lawyer Mark Gross pointed out the “pretty exorbitant” costs of caring for her 14-year-old daughter Eloise, who has a rare chromosomal disorder that causes developmental delays.
Gross also noted that Richards was granted a permanent restraining order against Phypers in November 2025, arguing that “victims of abuse should not be asked to support their abusers.”
However, Fipers’ lawyer pointed out that the Quantum 360 founder has not yet been convicted.
Representatives for Richards and Phypers have not yet responded to Page Six’s requests for comment.
The former couple broke up last summer, and Richards reflected on a “painful year” on Instagram last month in which she “let go (and) the truth came out.”
“As painful as it is, I am so grateful for that clarity,” the “Denise Richards and the Wild Things” star wrote in January.
Richards’ divorce from Phypers is the second for Richards, who was previously married to Charlie Sheen, with whom she has daughters Sami, 21, and Lola, 20.
Fipers divorced actress Nicolette Sheridan in 2018 after three years of marriage.
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.
