At the time of filing for divorce, she was pregnant with their second daughter, Lola.
Denise Richards was born in the American city of Downers Grove to coffee shop owner Joni Lee and telephone engineer Irv Richards. Richards spent her childhood in the suburbs of Chicago, and at the age of 15, she moved with her family to Oceanside, California. After graduating from high school, Richards pursued a modeling career and moved to Los Angeles, where she soon began landing roles in television series and films.
Richards gained widespread fame in the late 1990s. She played pilot Carmen Ibanez in Paul Verhoeven's sci-fi action film "Starship Troopers" (1997) and later starred in the thriller "Wild Things" (1998). She solidified her status as a star with her role as a Bond girl in the film "The World Is Not Enough" (1999).
In 2001, while filming the series "Spin City," the actress met Charlie Sheen. They married in 2002, and two years later, the couple welcomed their daughter, Sam. At the time of filing for divorce, Richards was pregnant with their second daughter, Lola. After her birth, the couple briefly tried to reconcile, but soon separated for good.
In 2025, clips from films featuring Denise Richards, particularly "Starship Troopers," went viral on the social media platform TikTok, sparking a new wave of interest in her work.
"It really touches me. I feel very honored that new generations are discovering the films I was in. Because of this, I started participating in ComicCon, and I really enjoy going there. Seeing young people discover this makes me feel very happy and grateful," the actress said in an interview with Paper Mag.
