Denise Richards

From 1998 to 2000, there were few sex symbols as well known as Denise Richards.

The former high school cheerleader from Oceanside, Calif., made her mark in films like Starship Troopers and Wild Things, in which she famously locked lips with costar Neve Campbell.

Following an appearance in 2003’s Scary Movie 3, Richards walked down the aisle with Charlie Sheen, her costar in the film. The couple had two children — Sam, born in March 2004, and Lola born in June 2005.

They divorced in 2006 after Richards filed a restraining order against Sheen alleging that he was physically violent and routinely had prostitutes visit their home. In March of 2008, Richards officially cut ties with her ex and legally dropped Sheen as her last name.

Shortly thereafter, Richards began dating Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora following his separation from Richards’ pal Heather Locklear. Locklear has alleged that Sambora cheated on her with Richards, a charge that both Sambora and Richards deny.

Richards and Sambora ended their on-again, off-again relationship in 2012, but her friendship with Locklear never recovered. Us exclusively revealed in 2011 that the actress adopted a third daughter, Eloise. She walked down the aisle for the second time in 2018, marrying Aaron Phypers in Malibu.

Richards premiered her new E! reality series It’s Complicated in summer 2008. While the show only ran for one season, Richards returned to reality TV as a cast member on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in 2018. While she quickly became a fan-favorite on the show during season 9, the actress had a hard time during season 10 after Brandi Glanville alleged they had an affair in April 2019. Richards denied all the accusations, but walked away from the show in September 2020 after two seasons. She continues to act, landing a role on The Bold and the Beautiful in 2019.