During a candid interview on “The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast,” the actress revealed that in the late 2000s, Hollywood essentially turned its back on her. According to Denise, she was unfairly painted as the villain in her split from Sheen, who at the time was riding high as the lead of CBS’s mega-hit sitcom Two and a Half Men.
Blacklisted in Hollywood
Denise shared that networks and studios distanced themselves from her, influenced by Sheen’s rising popularity and the media frenzy surrounding their messy separation.
“He was on a huge show, and he had a lot of support,” she said. “Meanwhile, I was getting hammered online and in the press. I became the scapegoat.”
She added that at times, it felt like no matter what she said or did, it would be twisted into another tabloid headline — so she eventually decided to stay silent and wait for the negativity to fade.
Reality TV to the Rescue
In 2008, Denise took a bold step to reclaim her image with the E! reality show “Denise Richards: It’s Complicated.” While controversial at the time, the show gave audiences a behind-the-scenes look at her life as a single mother and working actress.
“It was my way of showing who I really was. I didn’t want to be defined by headlines or someone else’s version of me,” she explained.
The strategy worked — Denise says she started to book acting roles again, and public perception slowly shifted in her favor.
Co-Parenting & Moving Forward
Despite the rocky past, Denise has remained focused on her daughters, whom she shares with Charlie Sheen. She’s also continued to work in both TV and film, including stints on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” and acting roles in movies and streaming shows.
Her message to others facing public or personal struggles?
“Sometimes you have to ride out the storm, stay true to yourself, and take control of your own story.”
