Denise Richards’ ex-husband Aaron Phypers didn’t stay behind bars for long — the 53-year-old was released just hours after being arrested outside a Los Angeles courthouse on Friday over charges of ‘spousal abuse’ amid the former couple’s ongoing divorce battle.
Phypers swiftly bonded out of the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station that same night after satisfying his $200,000 bail, per TMZ.
Daily Mail has reached out to reps for both Phypers and Richards for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Earlier that day, Phypers and Richards were both present for a court hearing when he was suddenly taken into custody by L.A. County Sheriff’s deputies.
A lawyer for Phypers told the outlet he was arrested over an ‘outstanding warrant’ that may be tied to Richards’ abuse allegations.
Meanwhile, a lawyer for Richards told Us Weekly that her ex was arrested for ‘spousal abuse.’
Denise Richards ’ ex-husband Aaron Phypers didn’t stay behind bars for long — the 53-year-old was released just hours after being arrested outside a Los Angeles courthouse on Friday over charges of ‘spousal abuse’ amid the former couple’s ongoing divorce battle; (Phypers in 2019)
Phypers swiftly bonded out of the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station that same night after satisfying his $200,000 bail, per TMZ; (Phypers and Richards in 2023)
One eyewitness described the shocking moment, telling the outlet Phypers was ‘arrested outside the court and taken down a nearby escalator. [He] did not come back into [the] hallway.’
Richards, who was also at the courthouse, reportedly stayed ‘calm’ while speaking with ‘her team.’
Another onlooker claimed Phypers appeared “confused” by the sudden arrest and seemed unaware he’d be taken into custody.
The estranged couple both appeared in court on Friday for a restraining order hearing, with Richards’ final testimony taking place following a lunch break.
One eyewitness also told Us Weekly that at the time, eight officers were seen standing outside the courtroom.
The hearing as well as Richards’ temporary restraining order have been extended to November 7.
Back in July, Phypers filed for divorce from Richards and cited ‘irreconcilable differences’ as the reason for the split, with their date of separation listed as July 4, 2025.
That same month, Richards was granted a temporary restraining order only days after he filed for divorce.
A lawyer for Richards told Us Weekly that her ex was arrested for ‘spousal abuse’
The actress – who was previously married to Charlie Sheen – has also alleged that Phypers gave her three concussions and that her marriage to Sheen had been better.
The actress – who was previously married to Charlie Sheen – has also alleged that Phypers gave her three concussions and that her marriage to Sheen had been better; seen in September in L.A.
Richards previously shared a photo of herself with a black eye, but Phypers claimed that she ‘bruises easily.’
It was also revealed on Friday in court documents obtained by TMZ that Phypers has requested half the earnings that his estranged wife received from OnlyFans.
He claimed that the TV personality garnered around $200K-$300K each month from the pictures that she uploaded to the site.
Phypers offered a reasoning behind his request and explained that he had taken the photos that she shared to OnlyFans.
He further alleged that he is in financial trouble and is need of money in order to make rent payments and pay other bills.
It was previously reported that Phypers was asking his estranged wife for $150,000 to pay rent and his lawyers, leaving her furious.
During their time as husband and wife, he had access to their joint accounts – which he claims he cannot access anymore.
Richards was seen at the courthouse in L.A. on Friday while sporting a short-sleeved black shirt as well as a pair of black trousers.
It was also revealed on Friday in court documents obtained by TMZ that Phypers has requested half the earnings that his estranged wife received from OnlyFans; seen in 2019 in West Hollywood
She slipped into a pair of black heels and allowed her blonde hair to flow down in light curls. A pair of stylish shades were also worn for a finishing touch to her look.
The former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star shared further details about the alleged abuse she suffered at the hands of her ex earlier this month.
During a hearing regarding a temporary restraining order she was granted against Phypers in July – which she wants to make permanent – she claimed that he ’caused me at least three concussions,’ People reported.
During an incident the actress said happened at a Chicago hotel in April 2025, Phypers ‘was squeezing my head so hard’ that it ‘felt like he was crushing my skull.’
She also claimed her tumultuous marriage to Sheen was better because proverbially, ‘he never hit below the belt.’
The entertainer was granted a temporary restraining order on July 16, days after Phypers filed for divorce.
A source close to him later claimed that the Wild Things actress and her legal team are ‘spewing fiction’ and that he is ‘planning on emerging victorious on this domestic violence protection order.’
During the hearing a video Richards recorded in August was shown by Phypers’ attorneys, according to People.
She also claimed her tumultuous marriage to Sheen was better because proverbially, ‘he never hit below the belt’; former couple seen in September in Hollywood
In the clip she compared their six-year marriage to her previous union with Sheen, to whom she was married from 2002 to 2005 and with whom she shares daughters Sami, 21, and Lola, 20.
‘Things were bad with Charlie and I, but he never hit below the belt,’ she said.
In addition to her daughters with Sheen, the actress is also mother to adopted daughter Eloise, 14.
Phypers alleged that he discovered Richards having a months-long affair with a former special forces soldier named Rudy Reyes at the end of their relationship.
He claimed in a detailed letter to ‘family and close friends’ that Rudy had showered her with X-rated photos and videos, including a graphic clip that showed him naked and pleasuring himself.
In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, he claimed he caught wind of his wife’s alleged affair in April.
A source close to him later claimed that the Wild Things actress and her legal team are ‘spewing fiction’ and that he is ‘planning on emerging victorious on this domestic violence protection order’; Phypers seen in January in L.A.
He said she’d promised to break it off, only for him to catch her lying about another hook-up with Reyes that took place at a Hilton Garden Inn in Burbank, California the following month.
He claimed his discovery of the May tryst led to an explosive argument over the July 4th holiday weekend, during which she smashed his phone.
After Phypers filed divorce paperwork on July 7, Richards hit back a week later with a request for a temporary restraining order that included a laundry list of domestic abuse allegations – all of which her husband denies.
Richards began dating Phypers in 2017 and the estranged couple tied the knot the following year during a ceremony in Malibu.