In a shocking resurfaced clip from Season 10 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Denise Richards’ estranged husband, Aaron Phypers, is seen threatening to ‘crush’ his wife’s hand.
The clip, posted to Instagram on Thursday, July 17, horrified fans in the wake of Richards’ abuse claims against Phypers. In the video, you can see Richards, 54, and Phypers, 52, walking hand-in-hand into a house.
Richards says to her husband, “Don’t say a f***ing word.”
Phypers, in a very low voice, responds, “Don’t tell me what to say. I’m going to crush your f***ing hand. Stop it.”
Fans shared their reactions to the video, with one writing, “He always seemed off. This scene definitely gave red flags🚩.”
Another shared their shock upon seeing the clip again, “Omg. My heart stopped when I saw this. I can’t believe this wasn’t made into a big deal, bc it is.”
During the series reunion with Andy Cohen, Richards was asked about the now-viral clip, and her response was that she, "didn’t even know that [he said that].” She also admits to playing the clip for Phypers and said he replied, “I don’t even remember saying that. I don’t know why I would say that, because I’m afraid of you.”
A day before the clip hit social media, TMZ reported that Richards had filed court documents accusing Phypers of both physical and verbal abuse. She was officially granted a restraining order the following day.
Richards included photos of herself showing a black eye and bruising in her July 16 court filing, claiming Phypers also threatened to kill both her and himself if she reported the abuse.
Phypers filed for divorce from Richards early this month. Phypers denied the claims in a statement to Us Weekly, calling them “conjured up.”
