Denise Richards and Brooke Mueller’s Unexpected Friendship Explained

The best way to describe Denise Richards’ reality is simply wild.

After the March 2025 premiere of Denise Richards and Her Wild Things, fans have been granted a rare look inside her family life and the friendships she continues to maintain.

During the March 4 episode, Denise casually invited Brooke Mueller to enjoy her family’s picnic in Malibu. Before viewers could question the reason behind the invite, Denise explained why they have remained in touch after they both split from Charlie Sheen.

“I wanted to include Brooke, Charlie’s other ex-wife,” she said in her confessional. “There’s a lot of history there. Her sons are my daughters’ brothers. We are a big, blended family.”

As Brooke continues to make appearances on the Bravo reality show, keep reading to learn more about this unexpected bond.

Denise Richards’ History With Charlie Sheen

Long before marrying her current husband, Aaron Phypers, in September 2018, Denise was in a romantic relationship with Charlie.

The couple were married from 2002 to 2006 and welcomed two children together including Sami and Lola.

“It’s surreal when you start to see your kids become adults. It makes me cry,” Denise said during an April 2019 episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. “I just feel like I f—ed up a lot with their dad. I don’t want them to look back at their childhood and remember [arguments].”

Brooke Mueller’s Past With Charlie Sheen 

After Denise filed for divorce from Charlie, the Two and a Half Men actor moved on with Brooke.

The couple tied the knot in May 2008 and welcomed twin sons Bob and Max on March 14, 2009. Both Charlie and Brooke faced many public ups and downs in their relationship as they both struggled with addiction issues.

The pair ultimately filed for divorce in November 2010. Following the split, Brooke and Charlie’s kids were placed into the temporary custody of Denise.

Brooke has since publicly thanked Denise for “stepping up” and being “very helpful” when it came to taking care of her kids before she regained custody.

Denise Richards and Brooke Mueller’s Status Today 

While every family unit has some speed bumps, Denise is happy to report she’s in a good spot with Brooke.

“It’s a blended family, and there were times things were not great with their dad, and then him and Brooke, and then me and Brooke,” Denise exclusively told Us Weekly in February 2025. “It’s always up and down, so I always try to keep it as harmonious as possible. When it’s peaceful and great, we’ll take it and it’s good. It’s really good right now.”

Brooke and Denise’s friendship extends to their children. As seen on Denise Richards and Her Wild Things, Bob hung out with Lola and Sami during a family BBQ.

“I’m not the closest with Brooke, but when I do see her, we pick up where we left off and she’s so funny,” Sami exclusively told Us Weekly. “She’s just good company and she’s really sweet. She means well.”