Denise Richards was considered one of the most exciting casting choices for The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
The actress who was famously married to Charlie Sheen joined the Bravo show in Season 9 and left after only two seasons.
Fans believe Denise’s exit from RHOBH was due to being accused of cheating on her husband with her castmate Brandi Glanville.
Although the actress denies all allegations, the rumors of her affair have lingered long after her exit from the franchise.
Talk of the months-long affair surfaced when Brandi confirmed she and Denise had a physical relationship despite Denise being married to Aaron Phypers.
Why RHOBH Fans Believed Denise Richards Had An Intimate Relationship With Brandi Glanville
Brandi Glanville and Denise Richards’ personal relationship off-screen became a hot topic in season 10 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Throughout the show, Denise found herself in hot water with her co-stars after Brandi claims she was intimate with the Starship Troops star. While the star has maintained she never had an affair with her costar, nor did she cheat on her husband, fans were less sure.
“I had been out with her and [her husband] Aaron and I knew that they have, like, an understanding, like she could be with girls if she wanted to,” Brandi revealed during an episode of RHOBH, to Kyle Richards.
“The first night we met, something happened.”
According to the reality television personality, she was going to get her own room, but the former actress told her to instead stay on a rollaway bed in her room. “There was no rollaway bed, and so I just slept in the bed with Denise,” Brandi continued, claiming the two were then intimate together. “I was uncomfortable. The kids were downstairs, and we were in the loft and there was no door. And I just couldn’t get into it.”
Denise’s people refute this claim, saying that she stayed in a separate room from Brandi and that Denise’s husband was on set when the incident apparently happened.
“He knew I was coming, and he knew I was there,” Brandi reported, in regard to Denise’s husband, who also frequently appeared on RHOBH . “The morning after … I was just kind of in shock by it. And she continued to be really nice to me. And she would text me to check in, but she was just very unavailable, she definitely hit it and quit it. So I was like, ‘Oh s***, this b****.’”
On Reality Check, Andy Cohen explained why the actress had been hesitant to address the rumors on the show. “She’s answering her truth,” he said. “She has a family and kids. Whatever happened or didn’t happen, I would imagine that it’s something that maybe she didn’t really care to discuss on a television show.”
After first appearing on RHOBH as a guest for one episode in 2015 during Season 5, Denise Richards became a main cast member in 2019’s Season 9 and filmed 44 episodes between Season 9 and Season 10, before making her exit.
Denise Richards’ Decision To Quit RHOBH
At the end of the season 10 premiere, a note appeared on the screen informing audiences that Denise had stopped filming with the other women in December.
Denise Richards clarified that the situation was not quite as portrayed on the show. “We were pretty much wrapped actually in December, and I was asked to go to two events that we had. I did not make it to those; that was the extent of me stopping filming…”
“I did not quit the show…”
“The only people that said I quit are some of the people on the show, and they never asked if that was true or not.”
Denise Richards claims she left The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills due to wanting to spend more time with her family. The actress was appearing in The Bold and Beautiful, and Glow and Darkness alongside the reality TV franchise.
A spokesperson declared that the Wild Things star “was looking to replace RHOBH with time loving her amazing husband, children, and who knows, maybe even friends now. She took her three productions down to two so now she can enjoy her family more, as well,” Newsweek reported.
Denise’s RHOBH castmate, Kyle Richards, also had a different take on the situation in an interview on Jenny McCarthy‘s Sirius XM radio show, according to RealityBlurb. The long-running housewife said, “[Denise] stopped, you know, basically showing up. She didn’t want to face anything or deal with anything, so she either would bring her husband or disappear.”
Kyle added, “That was something I really took issue with because I’ve been on the show for 10 years. There have been so many things have come up that were really, really painful over these 10 years … When you think about the things that people went through on this show, like, I never knew it was an option not to show up!”
Andy Cohen revealed the reason Denise did not return was as simple as a failed contract negotiation. “We were negotiating a deal with her and we couldn’t reach an agreement on the deal,” he explained.
Denise Richards returned to RHOBH as a guest in Season 13 for six episdoes to confront Erika Jayne over past issues.
What Brandi Glanville Had To Say About Denise Richards’ Exit
Brandi Glanville has never been one to shy away from her opinions. When the news dropped of Denise Richards leaving the show, Brandi Tweeted: “The word of the night is calculated #timing,”
On an episode of WWHL in September 2020, Brandi said it is unrealistic for Denise to think she could keep certain parts of her life private on reality TV.
“I believe that’s what she ultimately wants, but you’re on a reality show. Everything that is your life will be shared. All of the skeletons will come out.”
Years later, Brandi admited she handled the situation with Denise poorly. On a 2022 episode of WWHL, Brandi said she wished she would have spoken to Denise privately instead of telling their cast mates about the alleged affair.
“I think that just saying anything about Denise to other people,” Brandi explained. “I wish I would have waited until she arrived at some part and spoken to her directly.”
“Because I still haven’t — we haven’t resolved anything.”
