Trigger Warning: This article contains a discussion of domestic violence allegations.
After six years of marriage, Aaron Phypers filed for divorce from Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Denise Richards. However, throughout the headlines and court hearings, we’ve learned that there was much more to the story. Denise filed for a restraining order, and she testified in court about surviving multiple instances of domestic violence.
With that in mind, an insider closer to the star has shared more details on the timeline of how it went down. They broke down why Aaron filed first and the one specific moment that felt like a “breaking point” for Denise.
Denise Richards “broke down in court during” testimony detailing alleged abuse from estranged husband Aaron Phypers
Photo Credit: Nicole Weingart/E! Entertainment
A judge recently granted Denise a permanent restraining order from Aaron, after several days of emotional testimony. At the court hearings, Denise detailed multiple violent encounters with Aaron. One specific instance occurred as the Bravo star recovered from surgery.
According to an insider who spoke with Radar Online, the post-surgery attack happened after a chaotic Fourth of July weekend. Prior to that, she wanted to save the marriage. She gave him some conditions that needed to be met, like attending anger management. Then, he violated her trust.
“To her, this was the breaking point in her marriage that there was no coming back from, and she knew it wasn’t fixable,” the source recalled. “She also broke down in court during this testimony. It was very upsetting to her, and anyone witnessing her testimony could tell the amount of pain she was in.”
Although Denise testified about multiple instances of physical abuse, she knew there was “no moving forward” after the post-surgery incident. The insider said that she planned on filing for divorce once she recuperated from her procedure, but Aaron tried to get ahead of her. He filed for divorce the Monday after Fourth of July weekend.
“Aaron thought he was going to have the upper hand and pulled the trigger by filing for divorce first,” the source theorized. “His family likely was convincing him to do this as they figured he’d probably qualify for spousal support.”
The divorce is still up in the air. In the meantime, Aaron faces four felony charges, including two counts for injuring a spouse and two counts of trying to dissuade a witness by force or threat.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
TELL US – WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE INSIDER’S COMMENTS? HOW LONG DO YOU THINK IT WILL TAKE BEFORE THEIR DIVORCE IS SETTLED?
