Charlie Sheen Wants to ‘Be There’ for Ex Wife Denise Richards: He’s ‘Very Good at Cheering Her Up’

Denise Richards is going through an extremely rough time as husband Aaron Phypers is accused of defrauding a cancer-stricken customer – and a source exclusively tells In Touch her ex-husband Charlie Sheen is offering to step up and help in any way he can. 

“It’s no secret Charlie has never had time for Aaron, he thinks the guy is punching way above his weight by landing Denise, but he’s not out to cause any trouble with them,” the insider says. “All he wants to do is be there for Denise the way she’s been there for him so many times over the years.”

In Touch confirmed via court docs that a man named Rupert Perry, as trustee of the estate of Elina Katsioula-Beall, filed suit against Denise’s husband Aaron, 52, in November 2023, accusing him of breach of oral contract and fraud/false promise.

The suit alleges Aaron, who runs a wellness clinic, failed to repay $63,000 to Elina, a portion of a stem-cell cancer treatment program she underwent in his clinic that failed to work, according to an agreement they made about the risks of the procedure. Aaron claims he’s just the middle man, and the CEO of the stem-cell treatment company is the one who actually made the arrangement to repay part of the cost if the treatment was unsuccessful. Damages are being sought by Rupert, Elina’s widower, after she died in May 2024. 

The legal scandal comes on the heels of yet another lawsuit brought against Denise’s husband in 2022, after his clinic defaulted on a six-figure debt. Before it went to trial, Aaron and his creditors reached a repayment plan deal, with Aaron claiming the pandemic hit his business hard and he was still getting back on his feet.

With all the money and legal trouble swirling around Aaron, the source says it’s beginning to get to the Starship Troopers actress, 53. “She’s not the one being accused of defrauding a cancer patient, but it still reflects poorly on her and is very embarrassing. People around town are whispering, it’s humiliating for her, and she does need support.” 

Denise and the Two and a Half Men star, 59, met on the set of Good Advice, in 2000, and started dating the year after, finally tying the knot in June 2002. They welcomed their first kid, Sami, who was born in March 2004, and announced they were pregnant with No. 2 in December that year. However, by March 2005, Denise filed for divorce from Charlie just shy of their third anniversary. Their second child, Lola, was born that June while they were separated.

“He wanted to be there. And she agreed to it,” a source told People at the time, “but they’re not getting back together.”

After Charlie and his next wife, Brooke Mueller, publicly imploded, Denise stepped up to watch over their children after they were removed from their care in 2013.

Now, it’s the erratic actor that’s in Denise’s corner as she deals with the fallout from Aaron. “Charlie is very good at cheering her up and putting things in perspective, so he actually is a great person for her to turn to in a crisis like this,” the source adds. “Of course, if she ever did express any interest in ditching Aaron that would be music to Charlie’s ears and he’d be right in there encouraging her, no doubt about it.”