Denise Richards claims she unknowingly paid the salary of estranged husband Aaron Phypers' alleged mistress

Denise Richards is opening up about an alleged betrayal in her tumultuous marriage to estranged husband Aaron Phypers.

During an appearance on "The Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg Show," Richards got candid about the financial toll of her marriage to Phypers, claiming she unknowingly paid the salary and severance of a woman he was allegedly having an affair with.

"A woman he was having an affair with at his work, an employee.

I paid her payroll, her severance," Richards said during the Oct.

13 episode.

"I don't know how she looked me in the face." DENISE RICHARDS SAYS SAMI 'STANDS UP' TO DAD CHARLIE SHEEN AND THAT HE NEEDS IT The former " Real Housewives of Beverly Hills " star, who has been embroiled in a bitter divorce and legal battle with Phypers for over a year, said she didn't discover the alleged infidelity, plus "multiple" other affairs, until the couple separated.

Representatives for Richards and Phypers did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

The latest allegations come nearly a year after Richards was granted a five-year restraining order against Phypers following a contentious court battle involving accusations of physical and emotional abuse.

Richards was granted the permanent restraining order on Nov.

7, 2025, after accusing Phypers of abuse.

The order is set to expire Nov.

7, 2030.

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS Phypers was arrested in court in October 2025 on spousal abuse charges stemming from two separate incidents in 2017 and 2022, according to documents obtained by Fox News Digital.

Richards testified in court at the time that Phypers attempted to destroy her reputation during the fallout of their relationship, and, at one point, allegedly leaked nude photos of the "Drop Dead Gorgeous" actress after she claimed he stole her laptop.