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Denise Richards Reflects on “Painful” 2025 and Looks Forward to a New 2026
Denise Richards is revealing how tough 2025 was for her — and what made her hopeful about the coming year.
She wrote in an Instagram post on Thursday, January 1, that at 54 years old she had to deal with a hard divorce from Aaron Phypers, accusations of abuse, and their eviction after the landlord claimed that the couple had not paid $84,000 in rent before, among other things, the year 2025.
“Looking back at all the photos & videos I have of 2025, it feels like I’m looking at two different people & lived two different lives,” the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum began, alongside a picture of herself looking at a sunset.
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Denise Richards in her latest Instagram post opened up about how she didn’t have to face the year of 2025 alone that was quite a tough one.
“Upon seeing the majority of your posts, I noticed that many of you were in the same boat. I cannot erase this year from my memory, as it was one of the most painful years I have ever lived through. The year of the snake. A year of shedding literally, thanks to @drbentalei,” she joked while referring to a cosmetic procedure. “A year of letting go, truths being exposed.”
“No matter how painful it is, I thank God for the clearness,” she added. “I cried a lot, went through so much pain, & betrayal I didn’t even know existed.”
If it were not for “my family, old & new friends, this community, those of you I work with, & @drbentalei & @robertcohenmd, who truly did so much for me,” Richards said she “wouldn’t have been able to get through this year.”
“Thank you so much, guys, for leading me out of the darkness,” she wrote while also revealing her attendance at Comic-Cons and BravoCon had been “so humbling” and meeting fans who have been supporting her all these years emotionally overwhelmed her.
Denise Richards Reveals That She’s “Finally Starting To Feel Like Me Again” After A Brutal 2025
Denise Richards might have referred to 2025 as one of the most painful years of her life, but she is closing it in a much better spot, according to the actress.
“I had soooo many happy moments besides, especially last couple months I’ve been feeling like me again, only better me,” the three-time mom added on her Instagram post, which featured her friends and family celebrating the Chinese New Year. “Chinese New Year – the 17th of Feb is also my 55th birthday – so it’s a great time for a new beginning.”
“Bring it on Horse Year! You birthday lot are so lucky that this holiday falls on your special day”
“Wishing you a wonderful new year and to those of you who have really struggled in 2025, wishing a completely new you. Happy 2026!””
For the past year, Richards has dominated the media headlines over her divorce proceedings with ex-husband Aaron Phypers.
Denise Richards’ Estranged Husband Aaron Phypers Reveals Cheating and Drug Use During Divorce
The couple’s divorce papers state that Aaron Phypers, Denise Richards’ husband who is now separated from her, first filed for divorce on July 7, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the separation, according to PEOPLE.
Then, on July 19, less than two weeks after the divorce filing, Phypers accused Richards in an interview with TMZ of cheating on him with a man earlier this year. He also claimed that she physically abused him, left him with scratches, and destroyed his phone.
Moreover, in a letter to his close ones that Page Six obtained, Phypers accused the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star of being a Vicodin addict and said she was in need of an ”intervention.”
Denise Richards attorney Successfully Obtains 5-Year Restraining Order Against Aaron Phypers After Abuse Claims
Only a few days after Aaron Phypers filing for divorce, Denise Richards took to accusing her estranged husband — a man she tied the knot with in 2018 — of domestic violence, going as far as to claim that he “repeatedly abused” her over the course of their relationship.
Phypers has refuted the allegations, describing the accusations of physical abuse as “totally fabricated and extremely hurtful” in a statement given to PEOPLE through his lawyer.
According to PEOPLE report, it was on Nov. 7, Friday, when Richards was given a five-year restraining order against Phypers, which is supposed to last until 2030.
When Richards made her first public appearance after the split at the Bravo2Bravo panel on Nov. 16, she said she was “good” after the news of the order. “It’s a process. I have the most amazing support system,” she said to the crowd. “Thank you so much.”
