Denise Richards Alleges Ex-Husband Aaron Phypers Caused Multiple Concussions and Abuse

During her court testimony on October 7, actress Denise Richards detailed several instances of alleged physical abuse by her estranged husband, Aaron Phypers, claiming he caused her at least three concussions. Phypers, however, has vehemently denied all accusations of abuse. Richards’ testimony was part of a hearing concerning a temporary restraining order she was granted against Phypers in July, and the surrender of his firearms.

Richards, 54, stated in a court filing that Phypers, 53, allegedly used equipment at his wellness center to scan her after she complained of headaches, nausea, and generally feeling unwell. These scans, she claimed, indicated she had sustained concussions. She attributed these concussions to separate incidents.

One alleged incident on January 17, 2022, resulted in a black eye. Another, between March and May 2022, involved Phypers allegedly slamming her against a concrete wall in his wellness center’s carport, causing her head to hit it. The third concussion, also detected by Phypers’ equipment, reportedly occurred after an April 2025 incident at a Chicago hotel. Richards testified that Phypers was “squeezing my head so hard” and “picked my head up,” making her feel “like he was crushing my skull.”

On her initial day of testimony, Richards recounted an incident at the Chicago hotel during ComicCon where Phypers allegedly became aggressive after seeing texts from another man. She claimed he started “grabbing me, pushing me down,” with his fingers around her face, and she pleaded with him to stop, stating he was hurting her and would leave a bruise. Richards described the resulting headaches as “very painful,” with “constant throbbing,” and feelings of being “off balance” and “nauseous.” Despite these claims, she admitted under cross-examination that she never reported the alleged incidents to authorities.

She also noted that Phypers’ facility did not have a medical doctor, and while there was a chiropractor who could diagnose sports injuries, Aaron himself was not licensed to diagnose medical conditions. No other medical professional had diagnosed her with concussions.

Richards further alleged that Phypers frequently threatened her, including throwing her through windows and off balconies of hotels, tearfully stating, “He’s almost killed me so many damn times.” Their split on July 4 reportedly stemmed from Richards asking Phypers to leave their shared townhouse. She claimed he became “very angry and volatile,” getting “very close to me” while she was vulnerable, having just recovered from a facelift with stitches behind her ears. She alleged he would grab her arms, yell, and call her derogatory names like “cheating whore and a c— and a lying bitch,” making her feel “vulnerable, scared, sad, and intimidated” due to his size.

In September, after the temporary restraining order was granted, another incident allegedly occurred when Phypers returned to her townhouse for his laptop. Richards accused him of asking for her phone, which she had hidden, and then grabbing her arms and pushing her down the stairs before leaving with her laptop, purse, and credit cards.

A July court filing by Richards, obtained by PEOPLE, contained even more severe allegations. She claimed Phypers, whom she married in 2018, would “frequently violently choke me,” “violently slap me in my face and head, aggressively slam my head into the bathroom towel rack, threaten to kill me, hold me down with his knee on my back to the point where I would have to plead with him to get off me so that he would not kill me.” She also alleged he “regularly threatened to ‘break my jaw’ and would cry, beg me to stay, and promise to get help—none of which ever happened.” Richards was granted the temporary restraining order on July 16, 11 days after Phypers filed for divorce citing “irreconcilable differences.”

Conversely, Aaron Phypers has consistently denied all accusations against him. In a September 15 filing, he alleged that Richards had “attacked” and “harassed” him “many times,” providing screenshots of his call history showing numerous missed calls from her after the restraining order was approved. He reiterated, “I have not abused her and will not abuse her,” claiming Richards’ frequent calls and messages, and her requests for family and friends to contact him, constituted harassment and demonstrated she was not afraid of him. In a statement to PEOPLE after the restraining order was granted, Phypers said, “I have never physically or emotionally abused Denise—or anyone. These accusations are completely false and deeply hurtful.” He added, “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.” He later accused her of infidelity, claiming to have found incriminating text messages on her phone. The article concludes with a domestic violence hotline number for those in need of help.