Denise Richards’ Biggest Scandals: Hollywood, Housewives, and a Whole Lotta Drama

Denise Richards is no stranger to the spotlight—and when you’ve spent decades in Hollywood, scandals just kinda come with the territory. From messy breakups to Real Housewives drama, Denise has had her fair share of tabloid-worthy moments. But love her or not, you gotta admit: she knows how to keep things interesting.

So grab your popcorn, because we’re taking a deep dive into Denise’s most jaw-dropping, headline-making scandals.

1. The Charlie Sheen Divorce: A Hollywood Meltdown in Real-Time

Before RHOBH, before OnlyFans, and before her new Bravo show (Denise Richards & Her Wild Things), Denise was that actress who famously married Charlie Sheen.

And while the early 2000s gave us some legendary Hollywood couples (Bennifer 1.0, anyone?), Denise and Charlie’s marriage turned out to be less rom-com, more full-blown disaster movie.

In 2005, Denise filed for divorce while she was six months pregnant with their second child, citing Charlie’s substance abuse, wild partying, and some very disturbing behavior. Things got even uglier when she filed for a restraining order, claiming he threatened to kill her.

Meanwhile, Charlie—never one to go down without a fight—went on a public rampage, calling Denise everything from a gold digger to the worst thing imaginable: a bad actress.

(Sir, you starred in Two and a Half Men, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.)

Even after the dust settled, their co-parenting relationship remained…chaotic. From public custody battles to Twitter feuds, these two were the definition of “we’re doing it for the kids” energy.

Flash forward to today, and somehow—miraculously—they’ve become friendly exes. Charlie even supports Denise’s new reality show and sent her a “nice text” about it. Truly, growth.

2. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Brandi Scandal

Okay, this is the big one.

When Denise joined The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in Season 9, fans were thrilled. She was refreshing, real, and didn’t take herself too seriously. Plus, she had an unbothered, tequila-drinking, sweatpants-wearing energy that felt like a breath of fresh air next to all the diamonds and Botox.

But then came Season 10.

Enter Brandi Glanville, a walking-talking chaos machine. Brandi claimed that she and Denise had a steamy secret affair, saying they hooked up while Denise was still married to Aaron Phypers. And in classic Housewives fashion, this became the messiest, most drawn-out storyline of the season.

Denise denied it all—but the rest of the cast wasn’t buying it.

And to make things even more dramatic, the now-infamous “Bravo, Bravo, F*ing Bravo”** moment happened, where Denise tried to stop production from filming a conversation about the rumors. (Spoiler: It did not work.)

By the end of the season, Denise was DONE. She quit the show, refused to show up for the reunion, and basically left the Housewives to keep talking about her without her.

(Which, let’s be real, they totally did.)

3. The OnlyFans Controversy: Denise Claps Back

Just when you thought Denise was done making headlines, she shocked everyone by joining OnlyFans in 2022.

This came after her daughter, Sami Sheen, made her own OnlyFans account at 18, which sparked a LOT of controversy. Charlie Sheen publicly dragged Denise, saying he didn’t “approve” of Sami’s decision.

Denise? She wasn’t having it.

Not only did she support Sami’s choice, but she turned the tables and joined OnlyFans herself. Her reasoning? “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.”

And honestly? She’s thriving. She reportedly makes six figures a month from the platform and has even said she wishes she had done it sooner.

(Somewhere, Charlie Sheen is shaking his head in defeat.)

4. The Bold and the Beautiful Exit That Wasn’t So Beautiful

Denise has always bounced between reality TV and acting, and for a while, she was a series regular on The Bold and the Beautiful. She played Shauna Fulton, a sassy, drama-stirring character who quickly became a fan favorite.

But then, out of nowhere, she disappeared. No announcement, no farewell storyline—just poof.

Rumors swirled that Denise’s time on the show ended because of contract disputes or behind-the-scenes drama. But Denise insists there’s no bad blood, and she’s even hinted that she could return someday.

(Translation: If the paycheck is right, she’ll be back.)

5. The Lawsuit That Had Hollywood Talking

One of Denise’s lesser-known scandals involves a lawsuit against her former nanny. In 2012, she sued a woman named Marlo Heimann, claiming she stole from her kids.

The lawsuit alleged that Marlo took designer clothes, jewelry, and even souvenirs from Denise’s late mother. And if that wasn’t bad enough, Denise also accused her of selling stories to the tabloids.

(Imagine getting fired from your nanny job and thinking, “You know what? Let’s call TMZ.”)

The case was eventually settled, but it just goes to show—even outside of reality TV, Denise’s life is never boring.

Final Thoughts: Love Her or Hate Her, Denise Stays Unbothered

At this point, Denise Richards is basically scandal-proof.

She’s had:
✔ A wild Hollywood marriage that played out in real-time
✔ A Housewives exit worthy of its own spinoff
✔ A career that’s always full of surprises
✔ And the ability to turn every controversy into a business move

And yet, through it all, she’s still standing.

Now, with her new Bravo show Denise Richards & Her Wild Things, she’s taking control of her own narrative. Whether it’s messy, hilarious, or just her living her best life, we’re tuning in.

Because if there’s one thing we know for sure—Denise Richards is never boring.

📺 Catch Denise’s new show, premiering March 4 on Bravo. And who knows? Maybe we’ll get a few new scandals along the way.