NEED TO KNOW
Denise Richards has returned to BravoCon with a message for fans.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum, 54, made an appearance at the Bravo2Bravo panel on Sunday, Nov. 16 alongside fellow Bravolebrities Brittany Cartwright, Luann de Lesseps and Kim Zolciak.
Richards’ appearance comes amid her ongoing divorce from ex Aaron Phypers, to whom she was married for six years before he filed for divorce in July. Richards revealed that she was doing “good,” following the news that she was granted a five-year restraining order against Phypers.
“It’s a process. I have such a great support system,” Richards said. “Thank you so much.”
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Later in the panel, Richards sounded off on celebrity life, noting that “being in the tabloids” is “very daunting.”
“When you first have to deal with it, it’s very hard… it’s different because on the reality shows, our personal life is out there,” Richards said. “On reality, you can’t pretend it’s not happening.”
Richards made another panel appearance at BravoCon the day prior, joining Kate Chastain on the Live Stage alongside Jeff Lewis. Richards revealed that she would consider being a full-time Housewife again (she was a full-time Housewife on seasons 9 and 10). “We’re talking about things,” she said.
In August, Richards was seen filming for RHOBH when she got dinner with Erika Jayne and Sutton Stracke. The season 15 trailer confirmed that the mom of three will appear in at least one episode of the show, during which she’ll discuss her divorce.
After she was spotted filming, a source close to production told PEOPLE that she “still has a lot of connections within the cast of RHOBH even though she’s no longer a Housewife.”
Nicole Weingart/Bravo
“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 source said.
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The source also noted that Richards was “leaning on friends who understand more than anyone the pain of divorce” as she’s in a “difficult time” right now. “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.”
Richards and her ex have made multiple court appearances as their divorce proceeds. On Nov. 7, Richards was granted a restraining order against him after she accused him of being physically abusive throughout their relationship.
On Oct. 8, Phypers, 53, testified in court that he has “never physically harmed” the Baywatch alum and “never threatened to harm her,” maintaining his denial of her allegations, which he initially told PEOPLE were “harmful and baseless.”
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The previous day, Richards said in court that Phypers gave her “at least three concussions” during their relationship, and that one such incident led to the black eye that she included photos of in her July filing requesting the temporary restraining order.
In a video posted on her Instagram in August, Richards said it’s been a “very, very, very difficult time” and thanked her fans for their support and the “kind, thoughtful, encouraging messages” they’ve shared with her.
She also said that she’d share more about the divorce “one day … when the timing is right.”
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
BravoCon 2025 continues through Sunday, Nov. 16, at Las Vegas’ Caesars Forum.
