A chilling moment from a 2020 episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (RHOBH) has resurfaced, casting a dark shadow over Denise Richards’ marriage to Aaron Phypers, who now faces serious domestic violence allegations. On July 16, 2025, the 54-year-old actress was granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) against Phypers, 49, after alleging years of physical and emotional abuse during their six-year marriage. The allegations, detailed in court documents, paint a troubling picture of their relationship, with a resurfaced clip from RHOBH amplifying concerns about Phypers’ behavior.
In the 2020 episode, Richards and Phypers were filmed leaving a tense family barbecue hosted by castmate Kyle Richards. As they walked hand-in-hand, Denise, aware of the cameras, cautioned her then-husband, “Baby, don’t say a f—— word. We’re on camera.” Phypers’ response was jarring: “Don’t tell me what to say. I’m going to crush your f—— hand. Stop it.”
The moment, which initially shocked viewers, was revisited during the RHOBH reunion, where host Andy Cohen pressed Richards about the incident. “Denise, what was going on there? I believe he said he was going to crush your hand,” Cohen asked. Richards confirmed the statement but downplayed it, saying, “I played it for him, and he said, ‘I don’t even remember saying that. I don’t know why I would say that, because I’m afraid of you.’” When Cohen probed further, Richards described it as “a joking way,” a characterization that didn’t sit well with her costars.
“Zero tolerance,” Sutton Stracke declared firmly. “Zero. Unacceptable.” Garcelle Beauvais echoed the sentiment, revealing she was “worried” after seeing the clip circulating on social media. “I didn’t hear it on the show, but I saw it on social media, and I was like, ‘Oh my God!’” she said.
Fast forward to July 2025, and the lighthearted dismissal of Phypers’ comment has been overshadowed by Richards’ harrowing claims in her TRO filing. According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE on July 17, Richards alleges that Phypers subjected her to repeated physical abuse throughout their marriage, which began in 2018. The filing includes a photo of Richards with a bruised eye, underscoring the severity of her claims.
Richards detailed a series of violent incidents, alleging that Phypers “frequently violently choked me, violently squeezed my head with both hands, tightly squeezed my arms, violently slapped me in my face and head, aggressively slammed my head into the bathroom towel rack, threatened to kill me, [and] held 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 further claimed that Phypers caused her “at least three concussions” and hacked into her laptop and phone to download her text messages.
The actress also recounted Phypers’ alleged threats to “break my jaw” and his promises to seek help, which she says never materialized. Richards expressed fear of reporting the abuse, citing Phypers’ threats to kill himself, her, and even the police if she involved authorities. The documents also reveal that Phypers owns “at least eight unregistered guns” and “multiple bulletproof vests,” heightening Richards’ concerns for her safety.
The most recent alleged abuse occurred between July 4 and July 14, 2025, coinciding with the couple’s date of separation, as noted in Phypers’ divorce filing on July 6, 2025, where he cited “irreconcilable differences.” Richards described an incident on July 4, when she asked Phypers and his family to move out of the townhouses she was renting. She claims he responded with “degrading profanities,” calling her a “c— w—-” and a “piece of s—.” When she fell and “landed hard on the stairs,” causing her “immense pain,” Richards threatened to call the police. Phypers allegedly responded, “I would like to see the cops take me away, I will blow everything up if they try.”
In her TRO request, Richards asked that Phypers cover her legal expenses and other costs related to the alleged abuse. She also requested that he attend a 52-week batterer intervention program to address his behavior. The temporary restraining order was granted on July 16, offering Richards immediate protection as the legal process unfolds.
The resurfaced RHOBH clip, once dismissed as a heated moment, now serves as a haunting precursor to Richards’ allegations. The stark contrast between her initial minimization of Phypers’ threat and the gravity of her current claims has sparked renewed concern among fans and former castmates alike. As the case develops, the public is left grappling with the unsettling reality behind the couple’s seemingly glamorous life, raising broader questions about recognizing and addressing signs of domestic abuse.