Denise Richards has returned to film scenes for The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills amid her ongoing divorce from Aaron Phypers, PEOPLE can confirm.
The actress met Sutton Stracke and Erika Jayne for dinner on Saturday, August 2, marking her first filming appearance since leaving the show in 2020. Photos obtained by TMZ captured the trio at a Los Angeles restaurant.
Richards, 54, left RHOBH after two seasons as a main cast member.
“Denise still has a lot of connections within the cast of RHOBH even though she’s no longer a Housewife,” a source close to production tells PEOPLE. “She’s filmed scenes throughout the years before. She’s tight with Sutton, has maintained a good relationship with Kyle [Richards] and even mended fences with Erika recently. So it made sense for her to come and film again, and share her side of the story since the news has been a topic of conversation off-camera among this friendship circle.”
The filming comes during a difficult period for Richards, who’s navigating allegations of domestic violence throughout her six-year marriage to Phypers.
“This is such a difficult time for Denise and she’s leaning on friends who understand more than anyone the pain of divorce,” the insider continues. “In many ways, this brought them all closer. Hopefully it will open the door for more from her in the future; the fans love seeing her.”
Domestic Violence Allegations Surface
Richards filed court documents claiming she was physically abused by Phypers throughout their marriage. Phypers initially filed for divorce on July 7, citing July 4 as their separation date.
In her response, Richards alleged she was “afraid” to report Phypers’ behavior to police “because he has repeatedly threatened to kill himself and me if I reported him to the police, among his other threats of harm to me and himself if he is reported for his abuse to anyone.”
The Starship Troopers actress claimed Phypers, 49, caused her “at least three concussions” and alleged he “owns at least eight unregistered guns” along with “multiple bullet proof vests.”
She further alleged he “threatened that I would ‘disappear’ if I called the police.”
Phypers denied the claims in a statement to PEOPLE, calling them “baseless.”
“These accusations are completely false and deeply hurtful,” he said. “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.”
Restraining Order Violation Claims
Days before filming with her former RHOBH costars, Richards claimed Phypers violated her temporary restraining order “on multiple occasions.”
In a July 28 filing, she alleged Phypers had been spreading “private information … that he stole” to the media. She highlighted interviews where Phypers claimed he had photos and text messages proving Richards was having an affair and that she had physically abused him.
Richards’ divorce attorney, Brett Berman, called the allegations “false.”
“We have warned Mr. Phypers in writing not to disseminate any information from Ms. Richards’ stolen cell phone and laptop but, he continues to do so,” Berman said.
Phypers responded with his own statement to PEOPLE.
“I absolutely deny the false allegations that I violated the restraining order or stole Denise’s laptop or cell phones,” he said. “These claims are not only untrue – they are being weaponized to damage my reputation and distract from the truth.”
Phypers alleged Richards took his phone without consent and physically assaulted him when he tried to retrieve it. He claimed he later found it “smashed and hidden in a black trash bag.”
“I have nothing to hide. Her legal team’s efforts to twist the narrative and create false evidence are deeply unethical and will have serious consequences,” his statement concluded. “Everything being claimed can be disproven. And I trust that the truth will come to light.”
Richards’ Bravo History
Richards appeared on RHOBH as a main cast member in seasons 10 and 11. She left in 2020 when she couldn’t reach an agreement on a deal to return, Andy Cohen previously shared.
Her exit followed dramatic storylines involving cast conflicts and personal revelations.
In 2025, Richards and her family received their own reality series on Bravo titled Denise Richards & Her Wild Things. However, it was later announced the show will not have a second season as it was always planned as a limited series.
