Kathleen McAllister, the cousin of Aaron Phypers, delivered damning testimony during a court hearing on Monday, October 6, claiming she witnessed her relative physically abuse actress Denise Richards multiple times throughout their marriage. The shocking allegations came as Richards seeks to make her temporary restraining order against Phypers permanent amid their bitter divorce battle.
McAllister, who worked at Phypers’ medical office in Malibu for five years, told the court she saw Phypers hit Richards in January 2022, resulting in a severe black eye. During her virtual testimony, she recalled the disturbing moment with clarity. “I saw Aaron hit Denise, and immediately she had a really bad black eye,” McAllister stated. “I’m literally in shock now to this day about it.”
The alleged abuse escalated beyond a single incident. McAllister described witnessing Phypers pin Richards against a concrete wall in the parking lot of his office while choking her. “He was choking her and her head slammed against the [wall] and caused a concussion,” she claimed. “She was just really upset, in pain, disoriented. [I was] concerned she could have died.”
Additionally, McAllister characterized the period between January and May 2022 as “a period of escalating abuse” marked by frequent arguments and violence. She also testified about another violent episode that occurred in a bathroom at Phypers’ office, during which she heard what she described as thrashing sounds.
Perhaps most disturbing were the threats McAllister claimed to have heard. When asked if she feared Phypers would kill Richards, McAllister responded, “We both were. He threatened to kill us.” She added: “He just would be raging and threatening that if we told anybody, he’d kill us all.”
During the hearing, when questioned about whether substances played a role in the alleged incidents, McAllister described Phypers as “what anyone would refer to as an alcoholic, so that fueled the aggression.”
According to Richards’ lawyer, McAllister agreed to testify only under the condition that her name remain off the witness list because she is “deathly afraid of Mr. Phypers.” The attorney explained that McAllister feared intimidation if her identity became public.
Phypers has consistently denied all abuse allegations. In an interview with Inside Edition, when shown a photo of Richards’ black eye, Phypers claimed, “It looks like makeup.” He has maintained that the accusations are false and that Richards is the aggressive party in their relationship.
Richards was granted a temporary restraining order against Phypers in July after filing court documents alleging that throughout their marriage, Phypers would “frequently violently choke me, violently squeeze my head with both hands, tightly squeeze my arms, violently slap me in my face and head, aggressively slam my head into the bathroom towel rack, threaten to kill me.”
The court proceedings are expected to continue through October 8 as the judge weighs whether to grant Richards a permanent restraining order against her estranged husband.
