Aaron Phypers filed a formal response denying domestic violence allegations made by his estranged wife, Denise Richards, and accused the former actress of harassment and other misconduct in court documents obtained by Page Six.
In the filing, the 53-year-old checked the box indicating he does not agree to the temporary restraining order Richards sought in July, which would require him to have no contact with her and to participate in a batterer intervention program. "There is no need for such orders, as I have not abused her and will not abuse her," Phypers wrote, according to the documents. He went on to assert that Richards "is the abusive one," pointing to what he described as frequent phone calls, an alleged tracking device on his vehicle and an incident at the couple's Calabasas home in August.
Phypers provided screenshots he said show Richards called him multiple times on particular dates, which he said demonstrates she "is not afraid of me and that she is the aggressive one." According to the material cited in the filing, Richards called him nine times on Aug. 21 and six times on Sept. 2. Phypers also alleged he found an AirTag on his vehicle on July 6 and that Richards admitted placing it there.
Addressing an incident that drew law enforcement to the marital home on Aug. 3, Phypers said Richards "barged aggressively and forcefully into other family members’ living spaces, including my brother’s room." He alleged that she smashed his cellphone, put it in a trash can and then denied taking it. Phypers called Richards’ request for a restraining order a form of harassment and said her bid for spousal support amounted to a "ridiculous … way to harass" him. He also said he retains copyrights to photographs he took for Richards’ OnlyFans account and disputed her demand that he return private pictures.
Richards, 54, filed for a temporary protective order in July after announcing the end of the couple's marriage; Phypers filed for divorce in July. Richards' filing alleged "frequent" and "aggressive" physical violence and "degrading" verbal abuse, and a judge granted her a temporary protective order. In the weeks since, the couple's filings have included conflicting accusations. Phypers previously denied Richards' claims and accused her, in a separate statement, of having an affair and a Vicodin addiction — allegations he later repeated in court papers.
Richards' legal team told Page Six it would not engage in public disputation of Phypers' new assertions. "Ms. Richards will not be responding to Mr. Phypers’ false allegations in a public forum, and will be addressing Mr. Phypers’ abuse in Court," her representatives said.
A judge recently allowed Richards to return to the shared home temporarily to retrieve personal belongings and the couple's dogs without violating the protective order. In filings, Phypers has described the marital residence as being in disarray; the precise conditions and the parties' competing descriptions were raised in court papers.
The couple married in 2018. Since the protective order was issued, both sides have lodged claims in court, and the matter remains in the judicial process. Neither Richards nor Phypers' representatives offered additional comment to Page Six beyond the statements lodged in court and the public responses already cited.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
