Actress Denise Richards has been granted a five-year restraining order against her estranged husband, Aaron Phypers. This is following months of allegations and courtroom battles.
People reported that a Los Angeles judge approved the permanent order on November 7, keeping Phypers away from the actress until late 2030 and sharply limiting his ability to contact her or speak publicly about her.
According to the coverage, the order bars Phypers from coming within 100 yards of Richards or her workplace, prohibits any form of contact, and also restricts him from owning or purchasing firearms while the order is in effect.
Multiple outlets including the Los Angeles Times and The Independent noted that the length of the order, five full years, signals how seriously the court viewed the accusations presented.
Background to a bitter split
Reports from People and other outlets trace the breakdown of the marriage back to July, when Phypers filed for divorce after six years, citing irreconcilable differences and kicking off what quickly became a very public and very hostile split.
Richards, who previously spent years in the spotlight during her marriage to Charlie Sheen, soon responded in court with detailed claims of physical and emotional abuse, saying the alleged behavior escalated over time and left her fearful for her safety. Phypers has consistently denied all accusations.
One key hearing featured blunt testimony. As People noted, Richards told the court that Phypers caused her “at least three concussions” during the relationship and submitted photos of a black eye she said came from one alleged incident in January 2022.
Other allegations in her filings include claims of slapping, choking, threats, and obsessive monitoring of her devices. Phypers, for his part, testified that he has “never physically harmed” Richards and called her claims harmful and baseless.
Richards finally speaks out
In what appeared as a short but carefully worded public response on the story, Denise Richards who appeared at BravoCon 2025 briefly acknowledged the story.
People.com reported that Richards said “It’s a process. I have such a great support system.” She thanked fans for the their messages of support.
In further reports, Fox News highlighted how quickly Richards shifted the focus back to work and family. She kept her comments simple despite new and old headlines resurfacing.
Those with longer memories will recall that this is not Richards’ first public split. She was previously married to Charlie Sheen, with whom she shares two daughters. In the past she has spoken about how painful and messy that chapter was under the tabloid glare.
When things went wrong
One striking detail surfaced in earlier testimony and reporting. People and other outlets recounted Richards breaking down on the stand as she described feeling like Phypers had “almost killed [her] so many damn times,” language that underlined how frightened she says she became before filing for protection this summer.
At the same time, Phypers has continued to say he is the one being unfairly portrayed, insisting that her account is fabricated and that he has never laid a hand on her.
Recent legal explainers, including a piece in Lawyer Monthly, note that a five-year order is on the stricter end of what is typically granted, often reserved for cases where a judge believes there is a continuing, serious risk.
What this means is that any violation of the terms, whether contact, proximity, or firearms restrictions, could carry steep consequences as the criminal case and divorce proceed in parallel. For an audience that watched Richards on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and remembers her earlier film work, it is a jarring turn from red carpets to restraining orders.