Denise Richards Biography

Summary

"Denise Lee Richards" (born February 17, 1971) is an American actress and former fashion model. She came to fame in the late 1990s, after a string of films that highlighted her sex appeal, including "Starship Troopers", "Wild Things" and "The World Is Not Enough".

Biography

Early life

Richards was born in Joliet, Illinois, the daughter of Joni, a coffee shop owner, and Irv Richards, a telephone engineer, and she has one sister, named Michelle. She grew up in both Mokena Illinois and Downers Grove Illinois. She graduated from El Camino High School in 1989, Oceanside, California, where she was a cheerleader.

Career

Before she was an actress, Richards was a fashion model. Richards spent the majority of the 1990s appearing in lower-budget films and TV shows like "Saved by the Bell", television movies, and guest starring in episodes of several television shows. Her first starring role in a wide theatrical release was "Starship Troopers" in 1997, which was followed by her role in the moderately successful cult film "Wild Things" in 1998. Richards was subsequently cast as Dr. Christmas Jones in the James Bond film "The World Is Not Enough" (1999), which had a high box office gross and contributed to Richards' renown. In addition to her film work, Richards has made regular appearances in the situation comedies "Spin City", "Two and a Half Men", "Friends" and "Seinfeld". She also starred in the short-lived UPN series "Sex, Love & Secrets" in 2005.

Throughout the early 2000s, Richards appeared in several film roles which both parodied and utilized her image as a sex symbol, including "Valentine", "Undercover Brother", "Scary Movie 3" and "Love Actually". In December 2004, she posed for a nude pictorial in "Playboy" magazine. Richards also posed semi-nude for the July 2006 issue of "Jane" magazine to raise money for the Clothes Off Our Back Foundation. In 1999 she ranked 9 in "Maxim's" 50 Sexiest Women and in 2001 she was voted 2nd in "FHM's" USA 100 Sexiest Women, 5th in "FHM" 100 Sexiest Women and 19 in AskMen.com 50 Most Beautiful Women.

Personal life

Richards once dated actor Patrick Muldoon. In 2002, she married actor Charlie Sheen, with whom she appeared in "Scary Movie 3", in which she played his character's dying wife. The couple has two daughters: Sam J, who was born on March 9, 2004, and Lola Rose, who was born on June 1, 2005. Richards was named the "Sexiest Mom of 2005" by "In Touch Weekly" magazine.

In March 2005, Richards first filed for divorce from Sheen. The couple briefly reconciled and were seeking marriage counseling to mend their relationship. However, on January 4 2006, Richards' representative announced that she was continuing with the divorce, and she later sought a restraining order against Sheen, citing his alleged death threats against her. She has also been linked to actor John Stamos, whom she dated during her teenage years.

On April 19 2006, Richards filed formal legal papers asking for divorce from Sheen under the laws of the state of California. In her 17-page court filing (not counting additional supporting evidentiary documents), Richards alleged that Sheen's behavior was increasingly erratic, making their marriage impossible, and that she feared for her safety and the safety of their two daughters: Sam J. and Lola Rose.

Richards claimed that Sheen was physically and verbally abusive and threatened to kill her or have her killed, and that despite having accidentally shot his previous fiancée, Kelly Preston, he wanted to place firearms under their coffee table to protect them. Richards claimed that Sheen had become paranoid and obsessive, citing his belief in 9/11 conspiracy theories, a belief that baby formula caused brain damage, a desire to purchase gas masks, and an 'abnormal fascination' with Nicole Simpson's death.

Further, Richards alleged that Sheen visited prostitutes and was addicted to gambling, prescription drugs (which he bought over the Internet), and pornography. Richards also alleged that Sheen posted a picture of his erect penis on his online profile of a 'sex-search type' website and that he frequently viewed pornography featuring 'very young girls,' and websites 'involving gay pornography also involving very young men who also did not look like adults'. Based on these allegations, Richards sought and received a restraining order against Sheen.

Sheen denied the allegations. In an interview with "Entertainment Tonight", he described Richards' actions as a 'smear campaign' and insisted that he was a responsible father who would 'give his life for his children.' He added that Richards is 'the only one entirely culpable for putting these radical allegations out for public consumption... my children included.'

Laptop paparazzi incident

On November 8 2006, officers from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) were called to the River Rock Casino in Richmond, B.C., where Richards was making a movie. After seeing some photographers taking her picture from a nearby balcony, she apparently confronted them, grabbed one of their laptop computers and threw it over the balcony. The laptops landed near two elderly women, one 91 years old and one 89 years old and in a wheelchair. The 89-year-old woman suffered minor injuries (mild bruising) and was treated by emergency personnel. Neither pressed charges against Richards.