Denise Richards ‘Never in a Million Years’ Thought Aaron Phypers Would File for Divorce, Source Says

On July 7, 2025, Denise Richards was rocked by unexpected news. Her husband of six years, Aaron Phypers, filed for divorce in Los Angeles Superior Court, citing “irreconcilable differences” and marking July 4 as their official separation date. The split was particularly stunning given their recent reality‑TV vow declaring they’d “never get divorced again,” and their joint appearance on Bravo’s Denise Richards & Her Wild Things just months earlier. Here’s what a source says about how the Starship Troopers actress feels “betrayed” by Phypers for the surprising separation.

Denise Richards allegedly doesn’t ‘fully understand’ why Aaron Phypers filed for divorce

On July 7, 2025, Aaron Phypers officially filed for divorce from Denise Richards in Los Angeles Superior Court. He marked July 4 as their separation date and cited “irreconcilable differences” as the cause. In the court documents, Phypers, 52, states he has had no income since closing his wellness business in late 2023. He also claimed monthly expenses of around $105,000, including rent, food, clothing, utilities, and entertainment, while Richards earns an estimated $250,000 per month through OnlyFans, TV roles, and brand deals. He’s requesting spousal support, separate treatment of assets and debts, and retention of personal items such as his cordless and electric power tools, a Shelby GT500 Mustang, and a 2018 Indian Dark Horse motorcycle.

A source told The U.S. Sun that Richards never saw this coming. “She never in a million years wanted to get another divorce, and she never in a million years thought he would do this to her,” the insider alleged, adding that Richards feels “utterly betrayed” and doesn’t “fully understand” why he filed.

“It’s a betrayal; he promised he would never do this,” the insider continued. “She made it crystal clear to him thousands of times that they could work through anything no matter how big the problem, but divorce was never an option. He agreed. Then did this. There’s more questions than answers right now.”

The source added that the Real Housewives star “thinks it’s egregious” that he wants spousal support, as she financially supported him for years.

“She thought he was different, but turns out he’s what people warned her about,” the insider continued.

Aaron Phypers has an average monthly income of $0 amid the filing

Aaron Phypers’ wellness business, Quantum 360, shuttered amid mounting legal and financial trouble. Founded in Malibu, the center marketed unproven “frequency medicine” and sound/light therapies. By mid‑2023, the company offered a stem‑cell–based cancer treatment allegedly boasting a 98% success rate. In November 2024, Rupert Perry sued Phypers after Perry’s late wife, Elina Katsioula‑Beall, paid $126,000 for these treatments, which failed and allegedly caused her tumors to grow, according to People. Perry claims Phypers promised a 50% refund if results were unsatisfactory, but never delivered.

Before the fraud lawsuit, Phypers was hit with creditor action. In Touch Weekly reported that in 2022, he defaulted on a roughly $190,000 business loan tied to Quantum Epigenetics Consulting. He reached a payment plan but stopped paying early in 2024, prompting a collection agency to pursue a judgment of $228,000 — part of which is now even being directed at Denise Richards due to community property legal claims. These overlapping legal battles ultimately forced the closure of his clinic and left him with no reported income, a key detail later cited in his divorce filing from Richards.

According to Us Weekly, Phypers said his average monthly expenses include spending $18,000 on rent, $5,000 on repairs, $7,000 on child care, $10,000 on groceries, $15,000 on eating out, $8,000 on utilities, $500 on his cell phone, $5,000 on laundry, $20,000 on clothing, $15,000 on entertainment, and $1,500 on car expenses. This comes to $105,000.

Denise Richards recently said she’d ‘never’ get divorced again

Denise Richards’ statement on divorce didn’t age well. She and Aaron Phypers discussed divorce in her show, Denise Richards and Her Wild Things.

“It’s not easy being married to me,” Richards said in the first episode.

“It’s not, and she said it! But this is it. I’m done,” Phypers replied.

“Yeah, I’m never getting divorced again,” Richards continued. “Even if we hate each other, I’m not gonna f–ing get divorced.”

“Yeah, we’ll just have different homes or something,” Phypers said. “But we’re not gonna hate each other.”

Richards previously noted that she and Phypers had a mutual respect for each other that made their marriage work. “… I think that with Aaron and I, we don’t try to change each other,” she told The Daily Dish. “We respect each other.”

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