Denise Richards is sharing disturbing new details about her marriage to Aaron Phypers. 

Richards is testifying in court this week in a hearing related to the temporary restraining order against Phypers that she was granted in July. On the stand, she opened up about the physical violence she experienced at the hands of her estranged husband.

Denise Richards said it felt like her estranged husband was ‘crushing’ her skull during one attack

The Bravo personality described an altercation at a hotel in Chicago in April 2025 where Phypers squeezed her head so hard it “felt like he was crushing my skull” (via People). It was one of three incidents where Phypers’ attacks led to a concussion, Richards said in a court filing. Her husband later used equipment at his wellness center to evaluate her “and it showed up that I had a concussion,” she said.

While testifying, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star said that the attacks caused her to experience “very painful” headaches and that there was a “constant throbbing” in her head leading her to feel “off balance” and “nauseous.”

Bravo star says estranged husband would ‘often threaten’ her 

During her testimony, Richards also described her July 2025 breakup with a “very angry” Phypers. The final split occurred when she was recovering from a facelift, which made her feel particularly vulnerable. 

“He would get as close as a couple of inches from my face,” Richards said, adding that he called her a “cheating whore” and “lying bitch.”

“Emotionally, it was hard for me to understand,” Richards testified. “Especially with having what he has done for a living, working in the wellness space, that he would know how much that this would affect me emotionally too. And it just made me feel vulnerable, it made me feel scared, it made me feel sad. It made me feel intimidated by him. He’s very big.”

Overall, Richards’ marriage to Phypers was marked by multiple instances of violence. He “would often threaten to throw me through the windows and off balconies,” she said (via People).

“He’s almost killed me so many damn times,” she added. 

Phypers has denied Richards’ allegations of abuse.

“They’re bullsh*t,” he told Entertainment Tonight as he was heading to court on Tuesday.

“I’ll always love her,” he added. “I want to make sure she gets the best. But right now I’ve just got to look after myself and my family.”

How to get help: In the U.S., call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788.

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