Denise Richards accuses ex Aaron Phypers of ‘crushing’ her head in harrowing abuse testimony

Denise Richards tearfully recounted the alleged abuse she experienced for years at the hands of her estranged husband, Aaron Phypers, during an emotional court hearing Tuesday.

The “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” alum testified at the Los Angeles Superior Court that the former wellness center owner caused her to have “at least three concussions,” according to People.

Richards — who was fighting in court to make her temporary restraining order against Phypers permanent — added that the alleged attacks left her “not feeling good” and “nauseous.”

She claimed an incident took place on Jan. 17, 2022, resulting in her obtaining a black eye.

The “Wild Things” star said a second incident occurred sometime between March to May 2022, and she claimed at that time Phypers “slammed [her] up against the concrete wall and [her] head hit it.”

A third incident allegedly took place in April 2025. Richards claimed on the stand that during that fight, her then-husband “was squeezing [her] head so hard” and he “picked [her] head up.”

The Bravo alum testified that it “felt like he was crushing my skull,” and said she was diagnosed for concussions by a chiropractor that could assess sports injuries but no other medical professional.

Richards also recounted a fourth incident that allegedly occurred more recently.

She testified that in May, “[Phypers] smashed [her] on the top of [her] head with the palm of his hand while screaming at [her] repeatedly, ‘Give me your fucking phone,’” Us Weekly reported.

“I was disoriented from the surgery and was fearful he may seriously injure me, especially since I was recovering from a complex surgery, so I gave him my phone.”

Phypers’ own cousin corroborated some of the abuse claims during the trial Monday. Kathleen McAllister testified that in January 2022 she “saw Aaron hit Denise and immediately she had a really bad black eye.”

“I’m literally in shock now to this day about it,” the relative — who worked with her cousin at his holistic healing center from 2017 to 2022 — further claimed.

Phypers, however, has denied all of Richards’ abuse allegations, emphatically stating in court docs Page Six previously obtained, “I have not abused her and will not abuse her.”

He instead accused his estranged wife of harassing him and a source close to Phypers recently alleged to Page Six that Richards’ claims are “egregious bullying tactics of lies and onslaught of legal maneuvers in attempt to suffocate the truth.”

Page Six has reached out to Phypers’ lawyer and rep for comment on what Richards said on the stand but did not immediately hear back.

Richards has also alleged in her horrific testimony that Phypers almost “killed” her “so many damn times.”

She recalled a blowout fight the former couple had on July 4 that led to Phypers filing for divorce.

“He got very angry at me and volatile, he got very close to me. I had just recovered from a full facelift and I still had stitches behind my ears, and I felt extremely vulnerable,” Richards, 54, testified.

She claimed the “Dirty Hands” actor grabbed her by her arms and called her bad names such as “cheating whore and a c–t and a lying bitch.”

Phypers, 53, has repeatedly accused Richards of cheating on him and having an ongoing affair with her former “Special Forces” instructor Rudy Reyes.

“Privately, I’ve wrestled with the painful truth: that Denise has been involved in an ongoing affair with her ‘Special Forces‘ instructor, Rudy Reyes — something I confronted her about earlier this year,” he claimed in an explosive letter Page Six previously obtained.

“She begged me not to leave, saying it was nothing and that she only loved me. Then, she denied it all — even the explicit messages I found.”

Neither Richards nor Reyes have addressed the infidelity allegations.

The restraining order trial is ongoing and if the judge sides with Richards, then Phypers will be ordered to stay 100 yards away from his estranged wife for the next 5 years.

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.