Denise Richards reveals why she went public with her facelift after ex's court remark

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Denise Richards has opened up about why she decided to speak publicly about her facelift, explaining how a moment during her divorce proceedings influenced her decision.

The 'Wild Things' actress discussed the experience during an appearance on 'The Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg Show', sharing why she wanted to be honest about her cosmetic procedure rather than let her estranged husband control when the information came out.

Denise Richards reveals why she went public with her facelift

The 55-year-old actress discussed the experience during an appearance on 'The Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg Show', released on Tuesday, October 13. Richards said Phypers brought up her cosmetic procedure during their court proceedings, which made her rethink how she wanted to address it publicly.

Denise Richards reveals why she decided to speak openly about her facelift

“He said something in court about it on purpose,” Richards said. The actress added that she was surprised when members of the media who were present in the courtroom did not publish details about the matter.

“But I figured, you know what, I think I just need to be honest. And I didn't want to give him that power and have to say it then,” she explained.

Richards first opened up about her facelift in a March interview with Allure, where she shared before-and-after pictures of her transformation.

She revealed that she underwent the procedure in June 2025, making it her first major cosmetic surgery on her face. 

Richards also discussed the decision in the podcast, saying she was glad she had chosen to speak openly about the procedure.

“My ex that I'm divorcing, he said something in court about it, on purpose, and I was so pleasantly so surprised because there was media in there that they didn't print it, which was nice.”

“I figured, you know what, I think I just need to be honest and I want it, I didn't want to give him that power and have to say it then.”

“And so four months later, my publicist did a, got me a really nice piece in allure, a piece on my facelift that I had done a year ago.”

“I'm so glad that I've been open about it. I didn't know how people would react, but I think I want to know what everyone's doing, what's peptides, what this, what that.”

Denise Richards says changing attitudes influenced her decision

Richards also explained that changing attitudes toward cosmetic procedures played a part in her decision to share her experience. She recalled how people were more private about such treatments when she had breast implants in the 1990s.

“I'm so glad that I've been open about it,” she said.

The actress also wanted to give credit to her plastic surgeon, saying she felt he had done a great job. Richards had previously described the results of her facelift as “night and day” and admitted she was initially worried about how people would react.

Denise Richards and Aaron Phypers' divorce proceedings

Richards and Phypers married in 2018, but he filed for divorce in July 2025. Their separation has since involved legal disputes.

Richards' podcast appearance offered insight into why she chose to discuss her facelift publicly rather than address the subject when it was brought up during the court proceedings. She said she was glad she had been open about the procedure and able to share her experience on her own terms.