Denise Richards

Richards was married to actor Charlie Sheen from 2002 until their divorce was finalized in 2006. They have two daughters, Sami and Lola. In 2011, Richards adopted a third daughter, Eloise, as a single parent. Eloise has Monosomy 8p, a rare chromosomal disorder that affects her speech, and Richards has worked on learning sign language to communicate with her.

Richards married Aaron Phypers in Malibu in 2018. Phypers began the process of adopting Eloise in 2019, and he filed for divorce from Richards in 2025.

Richards began working as a model as a teenager and appeared in advertising campaigns for Bonne Bell and Max Factor. After making guest appearances on television, including Saved by the Bell, Beverly Hills, 90210, Seinfeld and Melrose Place, she made her feature-film debut in Loaded Weapon 1 in 1993.

Her first major starring role came in the science-fiction film Starship Troopers (1997), in which she played Carmen Ibanez. She followed it with the erotic thriller Wild Things (1998), appearing alongside Kevin Bacon, Matt Dillon and Neve Campbell. In 1999, she played nuclear physicist Dr. Christmas Jones in the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough. That year, she also portrayed Rebecca “Becky” Ann Leeman in the beauty-pageant satire Drop Dead Gorgeous.

Richards continued to work in comedy, drama and thriller films, including Undercover Brother, Scary Movie 3, Love Actually, Edmond, Jolene, Madea's Witness Protection and American Satan.

In 2001, Richards appeared as Cassie Geller, Ross and Monica's cousin, in the Friends episode “The One with Ross and Monica's Cousin.” She later appeared in Spin City, Two and a Half Men and the sitcom Blue Mountain State. Her scripted television roles also included Jolene Butler in Sex, Love & Secrets, Karen Desai in Twisted and Shauna Fulton in The Bold and the Beautiful.

Richards starred in the reality series Denise Richards: It's Complicated from 2008 to 2009. She competed on the eighth season of Dancing with the Stars in 2009, partnered with Maksim Chmerkovskiy, and was the second contestant eliminated. In 2019, she joined The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, appearing on the series across multiple seasons. Her later unscripted work included Special Forces: World's Toughest Test and Denise Richards & Her Wild Things.

Richards published the memoir The Real Girl Next Door in 2011. The book became a New York Times best seller and discusses her life and experiences before, during and after her marriage to Charlie Sheen.

She has supported organizations including the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Feeding America, Much Love Animal Rescue, Best Friends Animal Society and Children's Hospital Los Angeles. She has also participated in the NOH8 Campaign and supported the Kidney Cancer Association after her mother died of kidney cancer. In 2012, she designed shoes through ShoeDazzle projects that raised money for the association.