Denise Richards says she went public about her 2025 facelift after her estranged husband raised it in court, refusing to let him control the story.
The actress told host Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg she decided to disclose the surgery so Aaron Phypers would not get the last word.
Richards, 55, a "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" alum and "Wild Things" star, discussed the choice on "The Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg Show," released Tuesday, Oct. 13. She had the facelift in July 2025, the same month Phypers filed for divorce.
USA TODAY reported that Richards tied the public reveal in part to what she said Phypers did and said during the split.
Richards said Phypers “disclosed” that she had undergone a facelift. She also alleged he had a photographer appear outside a microneedling appointment for her scars and told someone the work looked “botched.”
She described a court moment that sealed her decision.
Richards said:
"He said something in court about it on purpose,"
She added that media present did not print the remark at the time. That did not change her mind about speaking first.
Richards said:
"And I was so pleasantly surprised because there was media in there that didn't print it, which was nice. But I figured, you know what, I think I just need to be honest. And I didn't want to give him that power and have to say it then."
In plain terms, she chose the timing herself rather than wait for an estranged spouse to force the issue.
In a March interview with Allure, Richards described the July 2025 procedure as putting things back where they belonged. She said she “wanted to put things back up, where they were before.” She called the result “night and day” and “It's shocking, actually.”
On the McCarthy-Wahlberg show she said she is glad she spoke openly.
Richards said:
"I'm so glad that I've been open about it,"
She also said she wanted to share details because she felt her plastic surgeon “did such a great job,” and because she is curious about what others use, peptides and similar treatments included.
Richards noted how different the culture feels from her earlier work. In the 1990s she got breast implants and later a revision. Privacy was easier then.
Richards said:
"In the '90s, when I got my breast implants, we didn't have social media, and I feel that a lot of us were much more private,"
She said she was surprised by how open people are now.
Phypers has no direct quotes in the available reporting. The court filing date is given as July 2025, but the case name, exact hearing date, and full statement he allegedly made are not detailed. The surgeon is unnamed. No independent confirmation of the photographer claim appears in the account.
What is clear is Richards’ stated motive: she would rather tell the story herself than hand an ex the power to frame it.
When a marriage collapses, the person who speaks first often sets the frame. Richards decided that frame would not belong to him.
