Denise Richards has taken every possible step to protect her children from learning about their father Charlie Sheen’s self-destructive and toxic behavior.
From alcohol abuse to marital problems, the Two and a Half Men actor has often been in the spotlight for his troubled lifestyle. Richards was one of the women he shared his life with, and they had two daughters together before their divorce.
Denise Richards on Protecting Her Children from the Truth About Charlie Sheen
Charlie Sheen has done many scandalous things in the past that earned him a spot in the headlines, but Denise Richards has tried her best to keep these things from their daughters.
The Starship Troopers star shared her co-parenting experiences with her ex-husband on the Sibling Revelry podcast with Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudson, including how she used to lie to her children when they were younger to cover for Sheen whenever he became an absent parent in their lives.
Richards, 54, said: “If I was at a school performance, and he was supposed to show up, and I get a call, ‘Something happened sideways, hospital, whatever.’ I'm not going to tell the kids the truth.”
She recalled a time when the 59-year-old actor was dealing with serious controversy — specifically when he was arrested on Christmas Day for assault charges after attacking and threatening to kill Brooke Mueller, who was his wife at the time.
"He was arrested on Christmas, and he called me from jail to say ‘Merry Christmas’ to the girls," the Wild Things actress said. "And they were busy playing with their toys. They're like, ‘We'll talk to Dad later.’ I go, ‘I think Dad's gonna be a little busy later.’"
Richards explained that instead of telling them their dad was in jail, she softened the reality. They were playing with their toys and had said they’d talk to him later, so she simply replied, “I think Dad’s gonna be a little busy later.”
Following Sheen’s confession about his HIV-positive diagnosis in 2015, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star recalled on the Whine Down with Jana Kramer podcast that the news was “everywhere.”
“I think I picked them up early from school that day because I didn’t want kids at school to tell them,” she said.
Denise Richards' Daughters Have Different Takes on Their Dad
Richards admitted on the Sibling Revelry podcast that in trying to shield her daughters from their father’s scandals and preserve his image, she may have gone too far.
She said her daughters, Sami and Lola, would often become upset with her when they later came across stories about the Spin City actor that she hadn’t told them about. “Why didn’t you tell me this?” they would ask.
Now 21 and 19, the girls still have a rocky relationship with their father. In an episode of Denise Richards & Her Wild Things, the older daughter revealed, “I would rather do literally anything else than go to lunch with my father.”
However, Lola saw things another way. She told Us Weekly in March, “My life is way more enjoyable when [my dad and I] have a relationship, because if not, it’s like, I hate having that feeling of not talking.”
Richards and Sheen tied the knot in June 2002 and finalized their divorce in November 2006. Although there were allegations of abuse throughout their marriage, the Denise Richards & Her Wild Things star insisted on remaining friends and co-parenting for the sake of their children.
"I even told Charlie, ‘I don't care if you're pissed at me. Let's have dinner with the girls. Just f****** suck it up. Because they're our daughters. They don't deserve to have their family split,’” said Richards, explaining that she wants to keep her family as united as possible.
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