Denise Richards slaps restraining order on Aaron Phypers amid divorce drama

IN HOLLYWOOD, celebrity breakups often come wrapped in public statements, polite words and carefully curated social media posts. But sometimes, the real story is darker and heartbreakingly human.

- VUYILE MADWANTSI

This week, actor and reality TV star Denise Richards, 53, stepped into the spotlight to reveal shocking allegations of domestic abuse against her estranged husband, Aaron Phypers, 52.

According to court documents filed last Wednesday and reported by People, Richards has been granted a temporary restraining order after accusing Phypers of a pattern of physical and verbal abuse.

The details, raw and unsettling, pull back the curtain on a relationship once painted as glamorous and supportive.

“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 towel rack, threaten to kill me...” Richards alleges in her statement.

She claims the abuse has left her with at least three concussions and adds she was too afraid to speak out earlier, fearing for her life and Phypers’s threats to harm himself.