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Inside Denise Richards and Aaron Phypers' ‘toxic' reality show as crew members reveals ‘tense couple barely spoke'

Inside Denise Richards and Aaron Phypers' ‘toxic' reality show as crew members reveals ‘tense couple barely spoke'

Scottish Sun5 days ago
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DENISE Richards and Aaron Phypers' reality TV show was "toxic" behind the scenes and the former couple barely spoke, according to reports.
Phypers, 52, filed for divorce from Richards on July 7, three days after they had an explosive fight.
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Staff on Denise Richards and Aaron Phypers' reality show have spoken about its 'toxic' environment
Credit: Getty Images - Getty
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Phypers was caught on camera chastising Richards in an episode of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in 2020
Credit: Bravo
Actress Richards, 54, has accused Phypers of carrying out domestic violence throughout their marriage and included a picture of herself with a black eye, allegedy caused by Phypers, in recent court documents.
She also claimed in the papers that he "threatened to kill her and caused her at least three concussions."
Phypers has denied her claims, telling US Weekly, "Let me be unequivocally clear: I have never physically or emotionally abused Denise — or anyone.
"These accusations are completely false and deeply hurtful. Denise and I, like many couples, have faced our share of challenges, but any suggestion of abuse is categorically untrue.
"I have always tried to approach our marriage with love, patience, and respect. I ask for privacy as we navigate personal matters, and I hope that the public and media will refrain from spreading harmful and baseless claims.'
Phypers has since accused Richards of cheating on him in an interview with TMZ and of lashing out when he confronted her.
Now insiders on their reality show, Denise Richards & Her Wild Things, which aired earlier this year, have spoken out about the tense atmosphere on set.
"You could cut tension with a knife sometimes," one source told the Daily Mail.
The insider said the pair "wouldn't speak to each other off camera" if they'd had an argument the evening before and they would often spend time in separate rooms.
On one occasion Phypers allegedly muttered about Richards going through the menopause when she fluffed her lines.
Denise Richards' husband Aaron Phypers files for divorce after 6 years together
The shady alleged comments were said to be a regular occurrence and made crew members uncomfortable, the source told the Mail.
While businessman Phypers played the perfect husband when the cameras were rolling, he is said to have felt 'very threatened' by Richards' fame.
The insiders said Phypers had a big ego and "walked around as if he was the biggest star on the planet when we were filming."
The Sun has contacted Phypers and Richards for comment.
The pair's concerning alleged dynamic was caught on hot mic on a 2020 episode of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
As Phypers and Richards walked off following a row with Teddi Mellencamp and Kyle Richards, Phypers said, "Don't tell me what to say. I'm going to crush your f*****g hand. Stop it."
Richards alleges that she suffered physical and verbal abuse throughout her seven-year marriage, including strikes to her head and face and degrading profanities, according to court documents obtained by The U.S. Sun.
"Throughout our relationship, Aaron would frequently violently choke me, violently squeeze my head with both hands, tightly squeeze my arms, violently slap me in my face and head, aggressively slam my head into the bathroom rack, threaten to kill me," Richards said in court documents.
"Aaron regularly threatened to 'break my jaw' and would cry, beg me to stay, and promise to get help - none of which ever happened," the actress added.
"Aaron has caused me at least three concussions. Aaron has told me that he has left recording devices to record me while I was alone in hotel rooms and at my townhouses."
Most recently, she alleged in court docs that on July 4, over the course of two hours, Phypers repeatedly "got within two inches of my face and screamed at me degrading profanities, including calling me a c**t, whore, and a piece of s**t."
Richards added: "Aaron's actions were scaring me to the point that, as with nearly all of Aaron's abuse of me, I was afraid that Aaron may kill me."
The Wild Things actress claimed she never called law enforcement on her husband because Aaron "threatened to kill himself" if she reported him, she said in court documents.
Richards claimed in court docs Phypers would hack her laptop and phone and download all of her text messages.
Phypers told TMZ he found out about Richards' alleged hookup with another man earlier this year, when he discovered text messages on her laptop.
He claimed the messages included selfies and plans for "rendezvous at a hotel".
He said he confronted Richards about the alleged affair and they decided to work it out and stay together.
But a huge fight over the July 4 weekend prompted him to file for divorce.
He also claimed that his phone went missing for more than 24 hours and later found it smashed to pieces in a bin.
Phypers told the outlet he questioned Richards about the phone but she alletedly "hit and scratched him".
VICIOUS ATTACK
During an incident on January 17, 2022, Richards alleged in court docs that Phypers viciously used the heel of his palm to strike her in her left eye, causing massive swelling and bruising.
Richards claimed that moments before the incident, Phypers became "paranoid" claiming that several potted plants he had just purchased for his workspace contained listening devices.
The actress said Phypers began screaming and that's when a police officer, who would regularly station in the parking lot of the Malibu property, approached the door.
However, after the officer left, Richards alleged in court docs that Phypers continued screaming then "used the heel of his palm to strike me in the eye while calling me a 'f**king b***h.'"
Richards claimed a family member witnessed the attack, which caused significant bruising to form around her left eye.
"The bruising took a month to heal. I had to cancel two professional meetings and rely on a makeup artist - who was aware of the situation - to cover the injury for an unavoidable work obligation," she added in the docs.
She claimed her husband insisted she tell others that she had "walked into a piece of his equipment stored on the building's balcony."
A judge granted Richards a temporary restraining order against Phypers that will last until August 8, when the estranged couple are due in court.
Phypers was ordered to stay 100 yards from Richards' home, place of work and vehicle.
He was also ordered to return her laptops and everything he downloaded from her phone.
DIVORCE SHOCK
The U.S. Sun previously reported that Richards was caught by surprise when she learned about Phypers' divorce filing.
Sources close to the former Housewives of Beverly Hills star said she felt "utterly betrayed."
"She never in a million years wanted to get another divorce and she never in a million years thought he would do this to her," the insider told The U.S. Sun in early July.
"It's a betrayal; he promised he would never do this. She made it crystal clear to him thousands of times that they could work through anything no matter how big the problem but divorce was never an option.
"He agreed. Then did this. There's more questions than answers right now."
Phypers is requesting spousal support to continue with their lavish lifestyle, which cost over $105,000 a month, according to court papers filed in Los Angeles.
"Denise thinks it's egregious he is seeking spousal support from her after she has been financially supporting him all these years," the source added.
'She thought he was different but turns out he's what people warned her about.'
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or chat at thehotline.org.
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Richards accused Phypers of domestic violence
Credit: Superior Court of California
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Phypers said his relationship with Richards had been deteriorating for some time before their split, worsening at the start of the year partly due to what he claims is her insatiable appetite for prescription pills and tequila. 'She's got a real problem,' Phypers said of her penchant for pills. 'She mixes it too with booze and she stays up all night. 'She's there on her computer and taking stuff, then she hides the bottles. It's gotten out of hand, and I'm really concerned.' He added: 'She buys them in bottles of 500 pills. I don't know where she gets them from, but she always has them. 'I don't know what the market rate for those are but it's $10, $20, $30, $50 each pill. You do the math - lot of money is going out the window for that.' Adding to the marital pressure was their semi-nomadic lifestyle, which involved moving home six times in less than a decade – with each move requiring Phypers to stage what he describes as a 'Noah's Ark' operation to relocate her menagerie of pets. According Phypers, the glamorous blonde owned 58 dogs at one point, as well as two potbellied pigs, and an incontinent Sphinx cat named Tim that would 'mark his territory' each time they moved by spraying all over the house. He says he was left to clear up the mess and repair the damage caused to their rental properties by the dog pack and said Richards never bothers to clean up after them – instead content to let their maids sweep dog poo under the family's beds. 'It is so gnarly,' a disgusted Phypers told Daily Mail 'There was petrified dog c**p under one of the girls' beds. 'The maids just sweep it under the bed. It's a beautiful home but no one picks up the mess.' Despite the alleged drugs and boozing, Phypers said the marriage muddled along until April when he claims he discovered 107 raunchy texts between Richards and Reyes on her phone, along with details of the multiple sordid hotel hook-ups they enjoyed. He said the discovery made clear to him that Richards was allegedly having an affair, which led him to file for divorce. The proceedings and tension between the couple have been widely reported ever since. 'I just had this feeling that something was off because her behavior had changed – she was being kind of cool to me,' said Phypers. 'I opened her phone – we both know each other's passwords - so I opened it up and then I went to her deleted texts and there were 107 of them between her and this guy. 'I went through them and it just broke my heart.' Of her alleged lover, he added: 'As for him, he's really is a w**ker.' has reviewed the alleged conversations between Richards and Reyes, whom she met during her stint on Fox reality military training show Special Forces: World's Toughest Test. Reyes, a former Recon Marine, appears as one of the show's presenters and 'Directing Staff' instructors. A review of what Phypers claims is their text messages reveal multiple discussions about setting up hotel sex sessions as well as scores of raunchy photos shared between each other. Along with graphic naked photos and videos of Richards's alleged soldier lover, they also include X-rated photos of the actress herself – including a racy snap where she is seen exposing one breast. Other tawdry photos on the text chain show Richards posing provocatively in a thong swimsuit, and another where she is seen posing topless wearing nothing but a pair of pink thong panties and a pink hat. It also includes a memorably bizarre exchange in which Richards told her lover: 'I really can't wait to talk to you in person actually. 'I felt a connection as a human being when I met you and you put that potato sack over my head.' When he first discovered the fling, his wife apologized profusely and promised to break it off, according to Phypers. She also offered to let him look at her phone whenever he wants to 'rebuild trust' but, Phypers said, soon returned to making plans to meet up with her lover. 'When I first found out, it really stung,' Phypers told 'But she offered to rebuild trust by letting me see her phone. 'Well, it turns out she's got another number too which I just found out about. 'It kills me. She's been setting up times to meet him out of town while creating fights with me.' Phypers's Anguished Plea to Family To Our Family and Close Friends, This is the hardest letter I've ever had to write. I just some of my contacts back, after being without my cell phone since the 4th July. I'm reaching out today not in anger, but in heartbreak — as a man, a husband, a son, a brother, and a father who has spent years loving, supporting, and protecting his family. I love my wife more than words can ever fully express. That has never changed. But the recent public accusations made against me are not only false — they are devastating. I have never, ever physically harmed my wife, and I did not give her a black eye. I have only ever stepped in to protect her or others — including separating her from physically attacking her daughter — always coming from a place of care and concern. The effects of these allegations have reached beyond me. My elderly parents (ages 83 and 84), and my brother — who have devoted themselves to caring for our Daughter Eloise and Denise's animals and supporting our family without pay for over three years — are now being targeted and publicly shamed. They live in unbearable conditions: no hot water, no gas, no air conditioning in 100+ degree heat, and no financial support to buy basic supplies. Yet they continue to serve with love and loyalty. This is a clear and present danger to all of us. Privately, I've wrestled with the painful truth: that Denise has been involved in an ongoing affair with her special forces instructor, Rudy Reyes — something I confronted her about earlier this year. She begged me not to leave, saying it was nothing and that she only loved me. Then, she denied it all — even the explicit messages I found. Despite her promise to stop, more lies and shocking evidence emerged. On July 4th, a simple act — ordering food for our daughter Eloise — led to an unthinkable discovery. Denise accused me of using her card, and in the confusion, my phone disappeared. After searching for over 20 hours and being physically attacked when I asked for it back, I eventually found it smashed inside a trash bag, hidden beneath rotting garbage and litter. When I asked why, she denied it completely. That same night, she texted me saying she was filing for divorce. I filed instead — at 12:01 a.m. that Monday morning. Since then, I've experienced stalking (an AirTag placed on my car), been denied access to my personal belongings, and watched my elderly parents become frightened and mistreated — simply because they supported me and helped take care of Denise's animals, her daughter, and our home. This isn't just a relationship breaking down. It's a cry for help. I say this with love, not judgment: Denise needs intervention. For nearly a decade, she has struggled with an addiction to Vicodin (which she jokingly calls 'Vitamin D' or 'white chestnuts'), mixed with Adderall and tequila. Some of you know this has been an issue for over 20 years. She's no longer eating real meals, and I've witnessed her pass out from substances — putting herself and others in danger, including while driving with our daughter. I never wanted to share this publicly. But the damage is no longer just within our home — it's hurting everyone who loves her, supports her, and continues to believe in the best parts of her. My mother has given over 13,000 hours of unpaid dog care alone — saving Denise nearly $327,000 — and yet we are being treated as if we are the problem. We are struggling just to survive, while she flies Rudy to private hotels under the guise of 'work trips.' I ask each of you — from a place of love and truth — to pray for Denise. To pray for healing, for clarity, and for her to get the help she so desperately needs. And to protect our family — especially my elderly parents — from the false narratives being spread. I remain open to reconciliation, healing, and truth. But I cannot stand by in silence as the people I love are being harmed — publicly and privately — while the truth is buried beneath a story that simply isn't real. Thank you for hearing my heart. Please reach out if you need clarity. I'm here, and I'm still holding hope — not just for myself, but for all of us. With love and respect, Aaron Sent from my iPhone Most of those fights were over Phypers's octogenarian parents who live in one of Richards' properties in Calabasas where they care for her pack of 15 dogs. But the July 4 showdown came after he said he discovered that the affair was still going on and took photos of the raunchy conversations – at which point she snatched his phone. Phypers said he later discovered the device 'smashed to powder' at the bottom of a garbage can that was crawling with maggots. 'I run up to her and I go, 'what the f**k did you do this for?', he said. 'And she goes, 'I did not do anything to your phone'. Just denied it. 'And then I'm like, so it was Casper the Ghost? And she still denied it, so I ran out. I was in disbelief, and I took off.' He added: 'I just feel like I've been taken for a fool. It's been a nightmare. Just a huge nightmare.' A heartbroken Phypers then filed for divorce on July 7 and included a request for spousal support totaling $100,000-a-month. Phypers says the colossal sum reflects the fact that he was, until this month, an equal partner with his wife in her business ventures which include a reality TV show and an only fans account. 'I do 80 per cent of the work,' he told 'I edit the pictures and build all the sets myself, as well as managing all her properties.' Richards hit back a week later with a request for a temporary restraining order, which was granted last week, that included a laundry list of domestic abuse allegations – all of which Phypers denies. He says he is now in limbo and waiting for an upcoming August hearing in which a judge will decide if the order is lifted, and until then, he is banned from going near his estranged wife and her adopted daughter Eloise, who he says he adores and misses terribly. She has also refused to give him his power tools and angrily threw a workman sent by Phypers to retrieve them out of her house last Wednesday, he claims. 'She's trying to destroy me,' Phypers said. 'But I just can't be treated this way anymore.' Neither Denise Richards nor Rudy Reyes returned Daily Mail's request for comment. Richards' divorce attorney Brett Berman issued the following statement to Access Hollywood: 'In addition to the repeated abuse perpetrated by Mr. Phypers against Ms. Richards throughout the parties' marriage, Mr. Phypers has continued to harass Ms. Richards since being served with the Temporary Restraining Order by, among other things, disseminating private information from Ms. Richards' cell phone and laptop, which he stole. 'These actions continue to disturb Ms. Richards' peace. We have warned Mr. Phypers in writing not to disseminate any information from Ms. Richards' stolen cell phone and laptop but, he continues to do so. Ms. Richards will not be responding to Mr. Phypers' false allegations in a public forum and will be addressing Mr. Phypers' abuse in Court.'

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