Denise Richards & Charlie Sheen Play Nice For Their Daughters

Instagram | Sam Sheen

Denise Richards is doing her best to keep the peace with her former husband, Charlie Sheen.

Following an outing with Sheen and their two daughters, Sam, 17, and Lola, 15, to celebrate Sam's birthday, the former "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" cast member is said to be making an effort to play nice with the actor as they continue to raise their girls.

“Denise really strives to keep a good relationship between the girls and their father and always has," an insider told Hollywood Lifeon March 13. 

"Even as young girls, Denise made it a point to do everything she could to get the girls to see their dad for dinner as a family once a week if not more,” the insider continued. 

While doing so was often quite difficult due to Richards and Sheen's busy schedules, they always made sure their daughters were prioritized, even if that meant Richards had to deal with Sheen's team to facilitate hangouts, and Richards also made a point to keep Sheen's parents, Janet and Martin Sheen, involved as well.

“Charlie is very close with his two younger daughters. He tries to see them at least once a week at his house because he doesn’t leave very much. He has a very special bond with them. And, he’s very protective of them more so than the others,” the source went on.

Sheen also shares adult daughter Cassandra with an ex and his twin sons, 11-year-old Bob and Max, with ex-wifeBrooke Mueller, who he was married to from 2008 until 2011.

Although Richards and Sheen are in a good place in their co-parenting relationship today, Richards has been open about the fact that her past marriage to Sheen had a number of “dark” moments. 

During an episode of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" last May, Richards told her co-stars that she was in a terrible place with Sheen when she filed for divorce while pregnant with their youngest daughter. 

“It was a very dark time and very toxic and I filed for divorce when I was 6 months pregnant with [Lola],” she said. 

Richards continued on, admitting that she frequently hid her ex-husband's bad behavior from their children.

“I always did whatever I could to hide Charlie’s behavior. How do you tell kids what’s really going on? I would say ‘Dad has to go to work, but he loves you so much, he wants to be there for you girls,'” Richards recalled.

Richards announced she was leaving the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" cast last September after being accused of having an affair with Brandi Glanville, which she denied.