LOS ANGELES – Aaron Phypers, the former husband of actress Denise Richards, was taken into custody in court this past Friday.
According to Richards’ legal representative, the arrest stems from accusations of spousal abuse.
Eyewitnesses reported that Phypers was placed in handcuffs directly inside the courtroom. As officers escorted him away, a disagreement with sheriffs was observed as they made their way down an escalator within the courthouse.
Law enforcement officers later returned to the courtroom to retrieve Phypers’s mobile phone.
The legal troubles between Richards and Phypers have been ongoing. Previously, Richards was granted a temporary restraining order against Phypers in July, alleging both physical and emotional abuse during their marriage. These allegations included a violent incident that reportedly occurred around the same time Phypers initiated divorce proceedings in July.
Richards testified in court that Phypers attempted to damage her reputation by leaking nude photos of her.
In July, Richards claimed that Phypers stole her computer and shared private information, including nude photographs, with media outlets. Judge Nicole Bershon ordered Phypers to return the device within 48 hours.
On July 29, the judge forbade Phypers from distributing any “private” or “sensitive information” or any photos of a sexual nature that he may have downloaded from her phone or computer.
In a statement to People magazine, Phypers denied Richards’ allegations, saying, “I absolutely deny the false allegations that I violated the restraining order or stole Denise’s laptop or cellphones. These claims are not only untrue, they are being weaponized to damage my reputation and distract from the truth.”
During Wednesday’s hearing, Richards’ attorney, Brett Berman, questioned Phypers.
“How did you obtain [those photos],” he asked.
“I took pictures with my phone of her phone,” Phypers said. “This was stuff she was hiding from me. I didn’t think it was private. … My wife was cheating on me.”
When Berman asked Phypers if he thought disseminating this private material would have been “in violation” of Richards’ privacy, he responded, “No absolutely not. She was already sharing with someone.”
Phypers filed for divorce from Richards July 7. He cited irreconcilable differences and is seeking spousal support from the “Real Housewives” star. Ten days later, Richards’ request for a temporary restraining order was granted.
“Throughout our relationship Aaron would frequently violently choke me, violently squeeze my head with both hands, tightly squeeze my arms, violently slap me in my face and head, aggressively slam my head into the bathroom towel rack, threaten to kill me, hold me down with his knee on my back to the point where I would have to plead with him to get off me so that he would not kill me and hack into my laptop and phone and download all of my text messages,” Richards claimed in the documents filed July 16.
“Aaron regularly threatened to ‘break my jaw’ and would cry, beg me to stay, and promise to get help – none of which ever happened. Aaron has caused me at least three concussions.”
During proceedings earlier this month, Richards described multiple allegations of physical and emotional abuse as she detailed terrifying incidents that left the mother of three fearful for her life.
At one point during the hearing, Richards pleaded for a tissue and began crying while recalling a particularly abusive event in May. Richards claimed Phypers got “very volatile” with her at the Four Seasons hotel just hours after the reality TV star had undergone multiple cosmetic surgeries, including a face-lift.
Phypers allegedly tried to search through Richards’ devices while she was sleeping. He allegedly hit her face and damaged a drain in the process.
“That is when I really, really knew that our marriage was over because there’s been physical abuse, but it kept getting worse and worse,” Richards testified. “But the fact that he did that to me five hours after coming out of a seven-hour surgery … made me feel a lot of things. Scared and vulnerable.”
Richards took the stand once again to detail Phypers’ alleged “manic” behavior throughout their relationship.
In response to the alleged leaked photos of her that were released by Phypers, Richards sent him a video — a part of which was played in court — referring to Phypers as a “narcissist” and detailing multiple instances of alleged physical abuse.
“You were the last person I thought would do that to me,” Richards told Phypers via video recording that was presented in court. “I don’t know why I’m having a hard time with this. Things were bad with Charlie and I, but he never hit below the belt.
“I told my dad, ‘I just don’t know why I believed you and I loved you,’ and I really thought you were my soulmate,” she continued. “I never in a million years thought we were getting divorced.”
Richards denied any infidelity but accused Phypers of stepping out on their marriage.
Phypers has also demanded spousal support and half of the “Real Housewives” star’s OnlyFans income.
Phypers filed a petition Wednesday claiming he’s out of money after Richards allegedly cut off access to their joint bank account and took away his holistic business equipment. He claimed Richards is preventing him from making a living.
“With regard to the OnlyFans page, the money that she receives from it is about $200,000 to $300,000 per month and that income is derived from photographs that I took and to which I hold the intellectual property rights,” Phypers’ petition, obtained by Fox News Digital, says.
“Therefore, it is our joint earnings and not hers alone. I request that I receive half of the OnlyFans income as a property control right.”
According to Phypers, he’s about to be evicted from his home in and his utilities have already been shut off. He requested immediate access to $200,000.
Phypers also asked for additional spousal support on top of half of Richards’ OnlyFans earnings.
