Denise Richards’ legal battle with estranged husband Aaron Phypers took another emotional turn this week after new video evidence was presented in court.
The actress, 54, and Phypers, 53, appeared before a Los Angeles judge on Oct. 7 regarding the temporary restraining order she was granted in July, which she now hopes to make permanent.
During the hearing, a video Richards recorded in early August was played in full by Phypers’ legal team, as per PEOPLE.
Richards explained she filmed it while moving belongings out of their studio townhouse and later sent it to him on Aug. 21, weeks after he had filed for divorce.
In the recording, Richards drew direct comparisons between her six-year marriage to Phypers and her past marriage to Charlie Sheen, whom she was married to from 2002 to 2005 and shares two daughters with.
“Things were bad with Charlie and I, but he never hit below the belt,” she said.
Becoming more emotional, Richards went on to tell Phypers,
“I don’t know you. Charlie, I knew. Every other ex, I knew. You, I don’t know. That’s why this has been really f------- hard. I don’t even know who the f--- you are. And I gave you everything.”
At another point in the video, Richards alleged she had discovered proof of infidelity, saying, “I saw the d--- pics you took,” while firmly denying she had ever cheated herself.
She admitted she was blindsided by Phypers’ decision to file for divorce. “I really thought you were my soulmate,” she said, describing the split as “such a shock.”
Through tears, Richards also said she had “tried my hardest” throughout their marriage, believing Phypers to be the one person she could trust to protect her.
Instead, she claimed, the reality was “the opposite.” “You’ve hit me too many f----- times and each time it’s getting worse and worse,” she alleged in the video.
As the footage played in court, Richards appeared visibly shaken and wiped away tears while listening back to her own words.
Phypers, who has denied all allegations of abuse, has previously called her claims “harmful” and “baseless.”
The hearing marked another painful chapter in the former couple’s ongoing dispute, as Richards continues her efforts to make the restraining order permanent.
