The court battle between Denise Richards and her estranged husband, Aaron Phypers, over a restraining order intensified as his family member and former employee testified against him, Us Weekly can report.
On Wednesday, October 8, Phypers’ cousin who previously worked for him at his wellness company, Dr. Kathleen McAllister, took the stand for a second time.
In the courtroom, in front of Richards and Phypers, McAllister detailed working for Phypers at his defunct wellness center in Malibu from 2017 to 2022, where she said she was “supporting his dreams and business.”
She claimed it was an “incredibly abusive” work environment and labeled Phypers as “manipulative.” McAllister claimed Phypers tried to make her “financially dependent” on him.
“I was absolutely his [Aaron’s] foundation of credibility” at the facility, McAllister alleged.
McAllister, who is here on a work visa, further accused Phypers of refusing to renew her visa and denied being fired., “I left him to renew [the work visa] and it was due to be done at the time and he had acted like he was going to do it, and he ghosted me,” she told the court.
Richards’ lawyer asked McAllister when the last time she spoke Richards. The doctor said it was when she left the office in May 2022 because she didn’t want to work in an “abusive environment.”
Phypers owned a wellness center named Quantum 360 Club, which he is currently in the middle of a legal battle over due to alleged unpaid debt. The center is now closed.
McAllister first testified on Monday, October 6 – the first day of court – as Richards, 54, attempts to secure a long-term restraining order against Phypers over alleged abuse. Phypers, 53, adamantly denied the claims.
During her first day of testimony, McAllister, who was called by Richards as a witness, said she witnessed Phypers give The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum a black eye in 2022.
“I saw Aaron hit Denise and immediately she had a really bad black eye,” McAllister said on Monday. “I’m literally in shock now to this day about it.”
McAllister claimed Phypers hit Richards with the palm of his hand, according to People. “[Denise] was in shock, I was in shock,” she told the court.
McAllister detailed how the then-couple was arguing before things turned physical. She claimed Phypers was accusing Richards of placing “listening devices” in his home. She said, “It was an evening of chaos and arguing [that] kept escalating.”
McAllister said she also had seen Phypers abuse Richards on other occasions, including when he “pinned” Richards “against the concrete wall where his truck was parked at the office.” She claimed, “He was choking her and her head slammed against the [wall] and caused a concussion.”
Phypers denied McAllister’s claims when he took the stand on Wednesday, October 8. He said he did not hit Richards and was not aware of her alleged injury. He said she hurt her eye but he was not present for the incident. “She said she fell and hit a pole,” Phypers alleged.
He said she was drinking tequila that night but did not see how much. He said she appeared intoxicated and was “not able to walk properly.” He admitted McAllister was present on the night but was unsure if she saw Richards hurt her eye.
As Us previously reported, Richards also testified in court about the alleged abuse.
Phypers previously spoke to Us about Richards’ claims.
He told Us, “These accusations are completely false and deeply hurtful. Denise and I, like many couples, have faced our share of challenges, but any suggestion of abuse is categorically untrue.”
Read the full article here
