Denise Richards films RHOBH as divorce battle takes darker turn

Denise Richards made a surprise return to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills just as her troubled marriage with Aaron Phypers grew more intense.

TMZ reported that the actress was seen filming scenes for the Bravo reality series on Saturday night at Madre, a restaurant in Los Angeles. 

She joined cast members Sutton Stracke and Erika Jayne for dinner while cameras followed her dramatic entrance and emotional talks about her split from Phypers.

Richards stepped back into the RHOBH spotlight soon after it was confirmed that her separate docuseries Denise and Her Wild Things would not continue for a second season. 

Sources told TMZ that the project was always mean to run for only one season and that discussions about her return to the Housewives series have been happening for some time as her personal struggles unfolded.

However, it was not yet known if Richards would reclaim a full-time spot on the show or return as a “friend of” the cast. 

Insiders said that she wanted to rebuild her presence on RHOBH and use the platform to speak openly about her turbulent breakup.

Her marriage to Phypers collapsed in July when he filed for divorce after six years, accusing her of infidelity and claiming that he got text messages from her laptop as proof.

The fallout deepened in the weeks that followed. Denise Richards secured a temporary restraining order after accusing Phypers of physical and verbal abuse.

Later he fired back by filing a police report over a July 4 incident, alleging that she assaulted him and damaged property.