Denise Richards Cries 'I'm a Very Married Woman' as RHOBH Cast Alleges She Has a 'Secret'
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is back — and the drama is only just beginning.
During the season 10 premiere on Wednesday night, the diamond-holding Housewives — Kyle Richards, Lisa Rinna, Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave, Dorit Kemsley, Erika Girardi and Denise Richards — traveled to the Big Apple for Kyle’s New York Fashion Week show, where she debuted her Kyle x Shahida collection. Also joining the cast for the trip to N.Y.C. were new Housewife Garcelle Beauvais and Friend of the Housewives Sutton Stracke.
Ahead of Kyle’s fashion show, Denise, 49, learned that ex-husband Charlie Sheen had responded publicly to her allegations that he owed $450,000 in child support. (At the time, Sheen and Denise’s reps did not respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment, though Sheen issued a statement to The Blast saying his “day in court is painfully overdue” and “the truth will prevail.”)
After Teddi, 38, read a portion of Sheen’s statement, Denise asked her costar, “He called me a coward?”
Though Denise initially didn’t seem phased by the news — “Eh, I’ve been called worse by him. Actually, that’s tame,” she said — the Wild Things actress admitted it was getting to her.
“Sorry, this is getting me all fired up now,” Denise said. “He hasn’t paid me child support in over a year,” she alleged, “and he’s very lucky because I never took him to court.”
As to why she hadn’t yet taken him to court? “It is such a toxic road and it brings up so much anxiety,” she said.
RELATED: Erika Jayne Teases Alleged Affair Between Brandi Glanville and Denise Richards: ‘Well Damn’
In an effort to show her support, Garcelle, who has been friends with Denise for two decades, praised the mother of three. (Denise shares daughters Sam, 16, and Lola, 14, with Sheen. She later adopted daughter Eloise, 8, as a single mom in 2011.)
Gregg DeGuire/WireImage Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen
“You’re an amazing mom and you put your kids first. You’ve taken such the high road when you didn’t have to,” said Garcelle, 53, who proceeded to explain more about Denise’s situation in a confessional. “I’ve been friends with Denise for 20 years and I remember seeing her struggle to get her kids in the right school because some schools don’t want the liability of Charlie Sheen.”
Though Denise said she was “so done dealing with this,” Erika, 48, implored her to take legal action as soon as possible.
When Erika asked if her castmate had a lawyer, Denise said, “No, I don’t necessarily want to go down that road.”
Erika then proceeded to call her husband, Tom, an attorney, and asked his advice. “Honey, I have a question, it’s a legal question, okay. My friend Denise’s ex-husband has filed documents saying that he no longer wants to pay child support. Does she have to show up or does she not have to show up?”
Tom’s advice? “We gotta be on the safe side,” he said. “You have to show. But she should be there with me or somebody else.”
RELATED: RHOBH‘s Kyle Richards Opens Up About the New Season: ‘Some People Aren’t Speaking’ to Each Other
Denise wasn’t spurred to action, though: “I really don’t want to even deal with this,” she said.
Despite Erika’s advice to handle it in the moment and get a lawyer, Denise said that she would “deal with this when I get back to L.A.”
“I appreciate the f—ing advice, but if anyone knows Charlie it’s me and I know how to handle it,” Denise said in a confessional. “It’s not your family, it’s mine. I’m not even going to show up to that court date.”
That night, the women gathered together for a meal in celebration of Kyle’s fashion line, during which Teddi announced that she was pregnant. (She welcomed daughter Dove in February.)
The next day, Lisa, Erika, Dorit, Teddi and Denise all confidently walked the catwalk at the show, which was attended by Kyle’s nieces Paris and Nicky Hilton.
Fernanda Calfat/Getty (4); Paul Morigi/Getty Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave, Lisa Rinna, Denise Richards, Dorit Kemsley and Erika Girardi
At the wrap of the show, Kyle, 51, was brought to tears from happiness.
But that moment was short-lived for the veteran Beverly Hills Housewife and her costars.
Although the outset of the series’ return made it appear as though all of the women would be getting along for the tenth season, by episode’s end, Kyle revealed that things would take a “terrible” turn — and it was largely teased to be about Denise’s life.
“We were all so happy that day. It’s actually hard to even imagine how terrible things would soon become,” Kyle said in a confessional.
What followed was a montage of clips centered on Denise and captured throughout the season that which hinted at the alleged affair between herself and former RHOBH star Brandi Glanville, which Denise has denied through her rep.
RELATED: Denise Richards Denies Having an ‘Open Marriage’ with Aaron Phypers amid Brandi Glanville Rumors
A slide of text then revealed that “in December, Denise stopped shooting with the group,” which was followed by a clip of Denise saying to her costars at a dinner table, “Who gives a s—?”
“Well see, if you had been honest —” said Kyle.
“I was honest,” Denise fired back. “I’ve been honest.”
In the clip, Denise proceeded to get up and walk away from the table, saying, “I’m done. No, I’m done.”
RHOBH season 10 cast
A producer could then be heard saying, “Any cast member who comes onto this show, you’re told all you have to do is tell the truth.”
“And it’s not for everybody,” Lisa said in a confessional.
Another shot of Denise then played, showing her walking away, alongside husband Aaron Phypers (they wed on the show in September 2018) from an outdoor table. “I’m done. I’m not f—ing doing this,” she said as the pair left the group.
“Don’t say a f—ing word,” she told Aaron as Kyle and Dorit followed behind them. “We’re on camera. Don’t say a f—ing word,” she stated as they left the outdoor party.
Cutting back to confessionals, Kyle explained that if “there’s something you want to run from, that’s the worst thing you can do.”
Said Lisa in another confessional, “We sign up to show our real lives. You can’t hide anything.”
A clip proceeded to show Lisa running after Denise and Aaron at the party. “You’re leaving. Why?” she asked, to which Denise said, “I’m sure they’ll fill you in.”
The dramatic teasers didn’t stop there.
Yet another clip of Denise at a table with her castmates was shown, with her saying, “I am not doing this you guys. Stop, stop, Bravo, Bravo, f—ing Bravo, I am out. I am not f—ing doing this.”
Denise Richards and Aaron Phypers
Returning to a confessional, Lisa, 56, alleged that “Denise has a secret. And no matter how hard you try, the truth always comes out.”
A tearful clip of Denise then played. “I’m a very married woman,” she said to Kyle in a scene. “And I love my husband.”
As the credits rolled, a clip of Kyle, who was prepping for an interview, captured her picking up the phone and saying, “Did you see all the headlines?” A Daily Mail headline reading “Denise Richards stops filming RHOBH after her passionate months-long affair with Brandi Glanville was exposed by castmates on a trip to Rome” was shown.
RELATED: Denise Richards’ Rep Denies She Hooked Up with RHOBH Costar Brandi Glanville
“I did,” said a voice, which sounded like Lisa.
“I bet you anything she doesn’t show up for the reunion,” said Kyle.
“Oh, she’s done,” said the voice, likely Rinna. “If you ask me, we would never see Denise Richards again.”
But Denise is ready to share her side of the story.
In the last clip of the premiere, Denise sat down and smirked after a producer asked, “So Denise, you ready to talk about all of this?”
Denise Richards and Brandi Glanville
While the drama surrounding Denise and Brandi, 47, is sure to unfold this season, her rep told PEOPLE in January that the two did not hook up.
“It isn’t true,” her publicist told PEOPLE of the Daily Mail‘s report that the actress had walked away from filming the reality show due to Glanville allegedly spreading a rumor that the two had a sexual encounter.
A source said at the time said, “What really happened with Brandi and Denise will play out on the season. There is a lot of she said, she said going on. But it’s going to be very dramatic.”
The source also confirmed that Richards didn’t attend the RHOBH finale party in December, but said filming had been complete for a few weeks.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs Wednesdays (8 p.m. ET) on Bravo.
