Fame & Fallout•2 MIN READ

Denise Richards' Divorce Took a $25,762 Turn in Court

Emily Carter

Updated Sep 27, 2026

Caption: Denise Richards attends Susan G. Komen’s 8th Annual Fashion for the Cure event in Hollywood in September 2009. Credit: Glenn Francis / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Aaron Phypers was ordered to pay Denise Richards $25,762 in sanctions during the former couple’s ongoing divorce, according to court documents reported by Page Six and republished by AOL. The total came from two separate orders issued as discovery disputes continue to keep parts of the case unresolved.

One Sanction Came From Unanswered Written Questions

The court found that Phypers had not properly responded to a series of written questions from Richards’ legal team. That resulted in a $10,987 sanction.

A second order added $14,775 in sanctions after Richards had filed a request for a protective order and the parties reached a stipulation in open court. The filing did not disclose why that second amount was imposed or reveal the terms of the agreement, so the record leaves part of the five-figure result unexplained.

The Discovery Fight Is Not Over

Other motions involving document production were not resolved at the same hearing. The court moved those disputes to December 2 and instructed the parties to meet and confer before returning with a joint statement.

That means the latest ruling settles the sanctions amounts but not the broader fight over what information and documents must be exchanged in the divorce.

The Financial Balance Keeps Shifting

The new sanctions add another money issue to a case that has already produced competing financial orders. Earlier in the proceedings, Richards was ordered to pay Phypers temporary spousal support and a contribution toward his legal fees, according to the reporting.

Now, Phypers has a court-ordered payment running in the opposite direction. The December hearing leaves the former couple with more discovery questions to settle after the $25,762 ruling.

References: Denise Richards’ ex Aaron Phypers suffers 5-figure blow in court as divorce heats up