Denise Richards has been granted a restraining order against her estranged husband, Aaron Phypers, following serious domestic violence allegations.
According to TMZ, Richards filed court documents on Wednesday (July 16) accusing Phypers—who filed for divorce earlier this month—of repeated physical and verbal abuse. She submitted multiple photos showing a bruised eye and detailed numerous instances of alleged violence, including claims that he threatened to kill both her and himself if she ever went to the authorities.
“Aaron would frequently violently choke me, squeeze my head with both hands, slap my face and head, and slam my head into the bathroom towel rack,” the lawsuit states. She said the injuries shown in the photos were from 2022, after an incident where he allegedly hit her in the eye during a paranoid episode, believing plants at his workplace were bugged. Other attached images show bruises on her arms at a red carpet event.
Richards also described fearing for her life on several occasions—one in particular when she told Phypers he didn’t need to accompany her on a work trip. According to her, he grabbed her by the hair, slammed her to the ground, and yelled, “You are not cancelling my flight, I am going with you and I do not trust you.”
In the most recent alleged incident, she said Phypers threatened to “blow everything up” if police tried to take him away after she said she would call them.
The restraining order is currently in place until at least August 8, the date of their first court appearance for divorce proceedings. The couple tied the knot in 2018. Phypers filed for divorce earlier this month, citing July 4 as their official separation date.
