Why Denise Richards Is Open To A 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' Return

Denise Richards has declared that she is not against re-joining "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" cast after her drama-tainted exit from the show in September 2020.

The revelation from the beloved actress comes more than a year after she and her husband, Aaron Phypers, escaped getting severely injured in a road rage incident.

During a recent interview, Richards shared that returning to "RHOBH" as a full-time Housewife was not entirely off the table. In her words, "I would definitely entertain the idea to come back full-time. For sure."

Fans would recall that the television personality joined the long-running Bravo show during its ninth season in 2019 and left after its tenth season in 2020 amid separate conflicts with Lisa Rinna and Brandi Glanville. The latter alleged they had an extramarital affair. 

Richards also experienced distress over her fellow Housewives bringing up the topic of threesomes at her family barbecue, where her children were present.

Years after her exit, Richards returned as a guest during the show's 13th season, and her presence garnered attention thanks to her heated response to Dorit Kemsley, who was trying to tell her that her jacket was upside down. Speaking to ET Online about the incident, Richards confessed, "I didn't even care. [I just wanted to] get the heck out of there."

Apart from her issues with Glanville and Rinna, the "Wild Things" star wasn't a favorite of the housewives. The women once accused the 53-year-old of "mom-shaming" after she expressed discomfort about bringing her daughters around the group following the incident at her Malibu home.

The other Housewives saw Richards' indignation as hypocritical, given her season 9 confession about taking Phypers to get a happy ending massage.

As for her purported affair with Glanville, the "Wild Things" star has vehemently refuted it, with Glanville later claiming in season 10 that Richards had been gossiping about the other women.

According to the former model, Richards referred to Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave as "pathetic" and described Erika Girardi as a "cold-hearted b——."

Aside from her Bravo drama, Richards was faced with a more significant challenge after she and her husband found themselves involved in a road rage incident in November 2022 while en route to Popsicle Studio. It happened that neither Richards nor Phypers could accurately pinpoint their destination, leading to mounting frustration for the driver behind them.

Before they could react, the agitated driver began shouting at them while trying to cut ahead, as The Blast revealed. Despite Phypers allowing the driver to pass, he reportedly brandished a handgun and fired at the couple's truck, hitting it on the rear driver's side.

Even though nobody was injured, Richards was understandably shaken by the incident and allegedly broke down in tears once she arrived on set. Upon discovering a bullet hole in the vehicle, a member of the production crew promptly notified law enforcement.

While it remained unclear whether police responded to the studio or if an official report was filed, an off-duty officer was observed escorting Richards and Phypers onto the freeway.

In the wake of the incident, Richards took to Instagram to share a statement detailing her gratitude for being safe. She wrote:

"I want to give my sincerest thanks to all who have reached out to me and Aaron during this time. We are both very grateful to be safe. The love and support from all of you has been overwhelming!! We are so thankful for each and every one of you."

Within minutes, the "Blue Mountain State" performer's fans filled the comment section with their well-wishes. One person penned, "You guys both exude such realness, and I really hope you are both okay. It's so scary, and it's so sick to see that people deal with situations the way they do," while another shared, "Sending so much love. I'm glad you and Aaron are safe."

A third Instagram user posted, "Thank you for reaching out to us as well. We were so scared for you and your husband. Stay safe and be vigilant. Happy Thanksgiving to your family."

Similarly, a fourth follower asserted, "I am so glad you are ok, you and your husband…safe travels."