Movie fans might follow celebrity divorces for the salacious details, but for divorce lawyers or anyone considering dissolving their marriage, the proceedings are often instructive. These cases serve up high-stakes drama involving legal issues pertinent to many couples, especially those with a modicum of fame and affluence. A case in point is the pending divorce of actress Denise Richards from her husband, Aaron Phypers, after almost 8 years of marriage. Ms. Richards, who endured intense press scrutiny 20 years ago with a headline-grabbing divorce from actor Charlie Sheen, is attempting to clamp a lid on proceedings this time around.
Having once suffered the slings and arrows of salacious reporting, Ms. Richards has moved to seal the record of her pending divorce. Her efforts raise an important question: Should courts grant divorcing spouses greater privacy rights than they currently enjoy?
Once Bitten, Twice Shy?
To understand what a sealed record might mean for Ms. Richards, it’s helpful to briefly recap what she went through in her divorce from Mr. Sheen. In March 2005, Ms. Richards filed for divorce while pregnant with the couple’s second child. Court filings contained serious allegations of violence, threats, and mental/emotional instability on the part of Mr. Sheen. CBS News quoted from the court papers that Sheen had “pushed, shoved and threatened [Ms. Richards] and her parents.” d In later court filings reported by People, Ms. Richards also claimed that Mr. Sheen threatened to kill her. Mr. Sheen responded by saying, “I deny having engaged in any such conduct.”
The legal conflict escalated significantly in 2006, when a Los Angeles judge ordered Mr. Sheen to stay at least 300 feet away from Ms. Richards and their children, except during supervised visitation. The restraining order, initially issued in April 2006, was later extended by agreement of both parties, while they litigated custody issues. A temporary custody agreement reached in May 2006 required supervised visits and physical separation from Ms. Richards.
The publicity damaged the public image of both parties. Mr. Sheen weathered the storm for a number of years, maintaining his position as one of the highest-paid actors on television in the hit sitcom, Two and a Half Men. Eventually, his erratic behavior led to his separation from that show. Ms. Richards continued to work as an actress, but has also traded on the “reality star” persona created in the press during what CNN called “the nastiest divorce in Hollywood.”
Why would anyone who’s already been through this type of experience want to add fuel to the fire a second time around?
Background to the Current Divorce
We now turn to the current case. Ms. Richards married Aaron Phypers on September 8, 2018, a few weeks after his divorce from actress Nicollette Sheridan was finalized. Mr. Phypers has one feature film credit as an actor, for a small role in Dirty Hands (2026), in which Ms. Richards starred. They do not have any children together, but Ms. Richards has an adopted daughter, and Mr. Phypers claims to be her stepfather. Mr. Phypers filed for divorce in July 2025, citing “irreconcilable differences.”
In October 2025, Mr. Phypers was arrested on four felony accounts related to violence against Ms. Richards. In her court papers, Ms. Richards accused Mr. Phypers of physical abuse, which included giving her a black eye. As reported by US Weekly in July 2025, Mr. Phypers has denied allegations of violence, “Not true. Conjured up. I have the real evidence. I have never physically or emotionally abused Denise — or anyone. These accusations are completely false and deeply hurtful. Denise and I, like many couples, have faced our share of challenges, but any suggestion of abuse is categorically untrue. I have always tried to approach our marriage with love, patience and respect.” The court granted Ms. Richards a five-year, permanent restraining order against Mr. Phypers on November 7, 2025.
Ms. Richards’ Motion to Seal the Divorce Record
Fast-forward to April 27, 2026, and Ms. Richards made a formal request of the court “to seal certain records in her divorce from Aaron Phypers, including financial statements and personal correspondence.” According to msn.com, “The court found that keeping these materials confidential would protect both parties’ privacy amid intense media scrutiny.” What’s interesting here is that the ugly personal allegations are already in the public record. What Ms. Richards seems more concerned about is the financial discovery to be undertaken.
Celebritynetworth.com reported that a judge had previously ordered Ms. Richards “to pay $5,000 per month in temporary spousal support, along with $30,000 in attorney's fees. Her reaction drew immediate attention. According to reports from inside the courtroom, Richards muttered, ‘I can't afford it.’" Moreover, at that same hearing, Ms. Richards “claimed she did not have any investments other than some retirement accounts set up by her business managers when she was in her 20s that she can't seem to locate.”
The support order was rather modest, especially by the standards of Hollywood divorces. Ms. Richards' claim that she is unable to pay means one of two things. First, her work as an actress is not lucrative. This would be a damaging admission in Hollywood, where the illusion of being able to command a high salary is in itself a financial asset. The alternative is that Ms. Richards is trying to hide income and assets she might be forced to share under California’s community property law.
The Fall of a Rising Bond Girl
Flashback to 1997-1999, and Denise Richards is a rising starlet in Hollywood. After seven years of episodic television appearances, she landed parts in three high-profile films: Starship Troopers, Wild Things, and The World Is Not Enough. Cast opposite Pierce Brosnan as 007, Denise Richards is the latest Bond Girl. Again, from celebritynetworth.com, “At the time, she looked like a future A-list mainstay. But that trajectory didn't quite hold.”
That run of lead roles in quality films ended, and Ms. Richards was back to episodic TV appearances and sub-B movies. The debacle with Mr. Sheen further tarnished her image, and she found herself doing daytime soaps and reality TV, such as The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Denise Richards and her Wild Things. The signs of financial strain were apparent, as celebritynetworth.com summarized:
“In 2018, Richards sold her longtime Hidden Hills home for $4.75 million,” living with Mr. Phypers in rental properties in the same vicinity. “In June 2020, the couple signed a lease on a large mansion in Calabasas.” But “In December 2025, their landlord initiated eviction proceedings,” due to unpaid rent estimated “as high as $84,000, eventually ballooning to roughly $125,000. Additional reported liabilities included around $10,000 in HOA fees, $13,000 in gas bills, $12,000 in electricity charges, and several thousand dollars in overdue waste services.” Ms. Richards would claim to have “moved out of the home roughly two years earlier, though her name reportedly remained on the lease.”
The downward financial spiral reached a point where Phypers' mother, who had been living with the family (along with another son of hers), “launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking financial assistance.” In her plea for assistance, Mrs. Phypers claimed, "I was brought in to hold a collapsing home together — 36 dogs, 5 cats, endless responsibilities, all hidden from the landlord. I spent my small pension on vet bills, food, and care because no one else would. My son Brett and I were put in impossible, unlawful situations to cover for fraud we never created."
Enter OnlyFans
Here is where we get to the apparent crux of the matter: Denise Richards has an OnlyFans account. Why not? The former Bond Girl is still a beautiful woman with a loyal male following. There’s no indication that her page contains pornographic content. But her earnings for the account remain a bit of a mystery.
Mr. Phypers “has claimed in filings that Denise makes, on average, $200,000 – $300,000 per month from the platform. That would amount to $2.4 million to $3.6 million per year.” He estimates her business expenses at roughly $100,000 per month. That’s a tidy profit, and Mr. Phypers argues that he is entitled to a share. He claims to have “contributed directly by photographing much of the content.” That raises the question of whether Mr. Phypers might own that content.
It also raises the question of whether we can trust Mr. Phypers’ estimate. That number might simply be calculated to put Ms. Richards between a rock and a hard place. Either she accepts that estimate and pays Mr. Phypers as much as fifty percent of the revenue, or she admits that she’s not that big a draw on OnlyFans, which would further tarnish her image in Hollywood as a bankable actress. Neither prospect is attractive; thus, the request is to keep the records from the public.
Lessons for Affluent Couples in Divorce
Now, how would you like to open your financial accounts to the world? Most Americans treat income as a closely guarded secret. High-earners don’t want to incite envy; lower earners prefer to give the impression they’re doing better than they are. It’s a “fake-it-til-you-make-it” world. Nowhere is that more true than Hollywood, where allegations of drug use, physical abuse, and mental cruelty are less damaging than admitting you’re not pulling in an A-List salary. Reputational damage is also possible for career professionals who are forced to admit their checkbook isn’t balanced and they’ve left some creditors in the lurch. Courts have often used the prospect of “the public record” as a cudgel to get divorce litigants to settle their differences without a trial. But this case suggests that courts ought to respect the legitimate reasons divorce litigants have for requesting privacy.
Facing a high-asset divorce or concerned about protecting your privacy during litigation? Contact our team today to discuss strategies for safeguarding your financial interests and reputation before proceedings become part of the public record. Contact our high conflict divorce attorneys at 212.682.6222 or online.