Denise Richards casually walked onto Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 9. Her jeans and t-shirts contrasted with Erika Jayne‘s glam and couture vibes, yet, these two ladies got along fairly well. Like Erika, every cast member on RHOBH was polished and produced, especially in Season 9. Therefore, Denise brought a sense of levity to this series, as everything in her life felt unbothered and unplanned.
Denise was also incredibly laid-back, which helped to drag this season away from the ridiculous “puppygate” storyline. Wildly, Denise was so informal that she pieced together her entire wedding to Aaron Phypers in under 48-hours. Minus the sweltering heat, everything (mostly) worked out. It was comical, and we all found ourselves thinking that Denise was exactly what this series needed.
Yet, in Season 10, cracks formed. Here, “Denise f*cking Richards” began getting knocked down several pegs by her co-stars. Afterward, Denise ran away from the Real Housewives franchise. but she recently returned for Season 13. Now, she is reigniting several past feuds, but her anger seems to be only aimed at Erika.
Before her first scene back on Bravo, Denise drank, so her initial heated words to Erika were messy, not malevolent. Currently, the sentiments are only growing harsher between Erika and Denise, so to help refresh memories, we’ll explain this long-standing feud now.
“Thank you. You’re welcome.”
Denise’s Disdain For Erika Began in Season 10
This whole mess started at Kyle Richards BBQ party during RHOBH Season 10. Here, Denise and Aaron attended without Denise’s three daughters. On this, Denise admitted to an understanding Garcelle Beauvais that she didn’t want her kids around, because at a previous dinner, the ladies had spoken about threesomes in front of her children, which Denise hated.
Next, Denise tried to explain her feelings to the rest of the cast, but Kyle and Teddi Mellencamp were combative. “You’re no longer comfortable bringing your kids in our presence?” Teddi asked. Denise replied, “No, I never said that,” adding on that her oldest kids already had plans. Teddi wouldn’t drop it though, which shocked us zero, just like Teddi’s firing from RHOBH.
Basically, Teddi was hurt by Denise’s “implication” that the ladies were inappropriate. Therefore, she accused Denise “of making the rest of the group look bad.” This saw Denise asking “how?” Finally, Aaron stepped in to defend Denise.
“All we said, and it’s so simple, our kids, they’re teenagers. Just please know that they’re right there, and they can hear you. Know your surroundings. That’s it. So what is the issue here?” Aaron asked.
When Teddi tried explaining, Aaron cut her off, saying, “There is no issue, that’s my point. You’re making an issue out of nothing, and it’s ridiculous.” When Erika pointed out that Denise’s kids likely already knew about threesomes, Aaron answered that “all we’re trying to do is separate parties.” At this, Kyle stated that she understood, causing Aaron to exclaim, “So no issue. Right ladies?
Erika HATED Aaron’s interjections, and walked away, mumbling “I’m not accepting this bullsh*t.” The fighting continued, resulting in Denise and Aaron exiting the party. This was the first main event in the feud between Denise and Erika.
Tensions Then Grew Over Denise’s Rumored Affair
Following this disastrous BBQ, Brandi Glanville decided to reveal that she and Denise had hooked-up. Denise vehemently denied this claim. Lisa Rinna then took this narrative and ran with it, as did the entire Fox Force Five group. They all came hard for Denise, trying to get her to be honest, even though Denise claimed that she was being truthful.
Now that Denise is back for Season 13, it’s clear that she is still upset about this storyline. Luckily, Teddi, Brandi, and Lisa are all now gone, but Erika, Kyle and Dorit Kemsley remain. However, Kyle and Dorit weren’t Denise’s top agitators, so it almost feels like Erika is receiving all of Denise’s hatred now, hence their weird ongoing feud.
In Season 13, Denise Hit Erika “Below the Belt”
Denise’s first scene back on RHOBH Season 13 was at an iconic weed-infused dinner hosted by Kyle. Within, Erika stressed that she wanted “one good love affair,” and Denise seemed fine, asking Erika if she had really never had one prior. Denise then asked the chef if he was single, and everyone laughed. All was hunky-dory.
That is, until Dorit asked Denise how it felt to be back with the group. “I do have a question for you,” Denise slurred, pointing at Erika, asking, “why you treated me a certain way,” because Erika’s Season 9 and Season 10 behaviors towards her felt conflicting. Erika didn’t understand, but Denise continued, bringing up an old storyline, where Erika hit on Garcelle’s oldest son, Oliver Saunders, and yelled at Garcelle’s youngest son, Jax.
“I’ve already apologized for that and we’ve made up. You don’t need to come back in three and a half, four years later, and try to check me” Erika retorted. Still on the attack, Denise called Erika a “bot monster,” next accusing Erika of being the one behind the online bot attacks that Jax received. An angry Erika emerged and their feud escalated, as Denise “hit below the belt.”
Erika Finally Hit Back at Denise
Three episodes later, Erika asked Denise why she was so upset. “To insinuate that my daughters at 14 years old would’ve had a threesome, I think is beyond inappropriate,” Denise answered. At this Erika shook her head, explaining that Denise was twisting her former words. Erika then clarified that children with phones and internet connections have access to sexual content, hence why Denise’s teens should have known about threesomes already.
Denise disagreed, so Erika hit back, arguing that one of Denise’s daughters had an OnlyFans account, as does Denise. “You are a mean woman,” Denise replied. “You asked for it,” quipped Erika. Where Denise and Erika’s feud goes from here on RHOBH is now anyone’s guess.
TELL US – IN THIS FEUD, ARE YOU SIDING MORE WITH DENISE OR WITH ERIKA? WHY?