Denise Richards may be known for her glamour, confidence, and reality TV appearances, but her personal life has taken a dramatic and heartbreaking turn behind closed doors.
What seemed to be a crumbling marriage between her and Aaron Phypers has now erupted into a deeply disturbing legal battle, revealing chilling allegations of long-term abuse and emotional torment.
Divorce Filing Marks Beginning of a Storm
Aaron Phypers, 51, officially filed for divorce from Denise earlier this month, stating that the pair had separated on July 4 after six years of marriage.
The cited reason was the ever-familiar “irreconcilable differences.”
However, things quickly shifted from standard separation to something far more serious — Phypers requested spousal support, even though he reportedly hasn’t earned any income since his wellness center shut down last year.
Despite their fractured relationship, the couple continued to appear on their family reality show Denise Richards & Her Wild Things with Denise’s three daughters.
But insiders claim the home dynamic was anything but stable, describing it as “toxic.”
Denise Alleges Years of Violent Abuse
Court documents have now shed light on what Denise describes as a horrifying pattern of physical and emotional abuse that she claims occurred throughout their entire relationship.
On July 16, she filed for a domestic violence restraining order, detailing incidents that are as graphic as they are tragic.
In her statement, Denise accused Aaron of repeatedly choking her, slamming her head against fixtures, and even threatening her life.
She stated, “He would violently squeeze my head, slap me in the face, push me to the ground — I begged him to stop, fearing for my life.”
According to Denise, Aaron allegedly hacked into her laptop and downloaded her private messages, claiming she was left with multiple concussions over the years.
There are even allegations that he placed recording devices in hotel rooms to spy on her.
A Terrifying July 4 Encounter
Denise described a disturbing confrontation that happened on Independence Day, during which she said Aaron screamed inches from her face, calling her crude and degrading names.
The next day, she claimed he entered her townhouse with his father, verbally abused her again, and hit the bill of her hat so hard it flew off her head.
Later that same day, Denise says she was physically dragged and pushed, falling painfully on the stairs — an attack that allegedly ended with Aaron stealing her laptop and leaking private messages from it.
She added that Aaron threatened her safety, saying she would “disappear” if she ever called the police.
Photographs Submitted as Evidence
To support her claims, Denise submitted several shocking photographs to the court.
One shows her with a black eye — swollen and dark purple — allegedly caused by Aaron during an incident at his now-closed Malibu wellness center in January 2022.
She says the assault happened in front of a female relative, who immediately tried to reduce the swelling with frozen food.
Another image, taken at a red carpet event in June 2023, allegedly shows bruises on her arm that she usually covered with makeup — but forgot to conceal that evening.
Privacy Invaded and More Violence Reported
Denise also shared that Aaron accessed her iCloud and downloaded all of her private messages without consent.
He later confronted her with them while screaming obscenities.
According to Denise, this confrontation escalated when he struck her on the top of her head while she was using the restroom.
She also made a chilling statement: “He threatened to kill me. He owns at least eight unregistered guns.”
Denise claims Aaron told her that because the weapons were untraceable, he could get away with using them without consequence.
Silence From Aaron Phypers
Despite the serious nature of these claims, Aaron has yet to make any public comment or deny the allegations.
Meanwhile, the court documents continue to paint a troubling picture of a man whose personal and professional life seems to be unraveling.
The Downfall of a Wellness Empire
Aaron Phypers was once the face of Q360 Club — a Malibu-based wellness center also known as Quantum 360. But the business shut down on October 1, 2024.
In his divorce filing, Phypers revealed he hasn’t earned any income since its closure.
Meanwhile, he claimed Denise brings in roughly $250,000 monthly through OnlyFans, acting gigs, brand partnerships, and appearances.
Phypers is now seeking spousal support and a 50/50 split of their joint production company, Smoke & Mirrors Entertainment.
A Business That Never Took Off
Behind the scenes, Aaron’s ventures weren’t faring well.
He registered another LLC — Quantum R.E.A.C.H. — in 2018 as a charitable entity.
According to IRS documents, the organization lost its tax-exempt status in 2022 after failing to file returns for three consecutive years.
Despite its lofty mission to promote health and wellness, insiders said board members resigned within a week, citing concerns over reputational risk.
The business quickly became a liability.
Legal and Financial Troubles Mount
The collapse of Aaron’s wellness endeavors didn’t stop there.
Legal filings show that Q360 faced multiple lawsuits between 2020 and 2021.
While some financial issues have been resolved, two major lawsuits remain ongoing.
One of those involves a $228,901.45 judgment against Phypers from a 2022 lawsuit, after he allegedly failed to repay a $190,000 loan.
Creditors even attempted to pull Denise into the case earlier this year, arguing that the couple didn’t have a prenup and may share community property.
A judge denied that motion in June, but the case continues, with the next hearing slated for September.
Stem Cell Scandal and Tragic Outcome
Another lawsuit came from Rupert Perry, the widower of Elina Katsioula-Beall — an acclaimed art director who died from cancer in May 2024.
Perry accuses Phypers of misleading his late wife into undergoing an ineffective $126,000 stem cell treatment at Quantum 360.
Aaron allegedly promised a high success rate and a partial refund if the treatment failed — a refund that was never honored.
The family claimed the therapy worsened Elina’s condition.
After multiple ignored requests for reimbursement, Perry is now suing for $63,000 in damages and is pushing for a jury trial.
Attempts to serve Aaron with legal papers have reportedly failed, forcing the court to allow service through publication in The Malibu Times as of June 9, 2025.
What Comes Next?
With multiple lawsuits, disturbing domestic violence allegations, and business failures all colliding at once, Aaron Phypers now finds himself at the center of public scrutiny and serious legal jeopardy.
Denise Richards, meanwhile, is seeking court protection while trying to shield her family from further harm.
As the legal proceedings continue, one thing is clear — this battle is far from over, and the next chapters will likely unfold in courtrooms, not on reality TV.