Denise Richards has emotional recollection of traumatizing life event on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test
Denise Richards spoke candidly about a sexual assault she suffered as a teenager during the season three premiere of Fox’s Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test on Wednesday.
The 53-year-old actress-reality star talks about the traumatic life experience, which she says was caused by an exercise in the program called helicopter extraction, used by the Army Special Forces.
“I really want to learn how not to be overwhelmed by fear. I have experienced traumatic situations that have been very frightening for me. I want to learn how to deal with these issues and become stronger,” Richards said.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum was unable to complete the task and explained to the show’s Directing Staff (DS) that she “didn’t feel like doing it at all.” [her] comfort zone’ while he tried and was ‘not petrified’ but instead ’emotional’.
The Downers Grove, Illinois, resident said on the program, “I have been through traumatic situations that have been very scary for me. I want to learn to deal with those problems and become stronger.’
The DS staff told Richards that she “had a deer in the headlights” and “froze” in her attempt.
Denise Richards, 53, spoke candidly about a sexual assault she suffered as a teenager during Wednesday’s Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test. Pictured in LA in November
The actress-reality star spoke about the traumatic life experience during the season three premiere of the Fox series
The Wild Things actress, who has three daughters – Sami, 20, Lola, 19, and Eloise, 13 – responded: ‘Yes, I am completely overwhelmed by certain scary situations, and I want to learn how to stay calm and do something doing. .
“Part of the reason I wanted to do this course is because I’ve been in situations where I freeze and can’t function, I can’t even talk to protect myself.”
Richards was referring to a November 2022 road rage incident in Los Angeles in which shots were fired at the Ford F-150 Shelby truck she was a passenger in while her husband Aaron Phypers, 52, was driving.
The World Is Not Enough star said Phypers was driving her to work when the incident occurred, and she was so paralyzed with fear that she urinated involuntarily.
“He didn’t want me to go alone, thank God, and we were physically shot in his truck, and I was sitting on the ground and just literally peeing,” she said. “I was so scared…I froze.”
The Starship Troopers actress then cried as she spoke about the assault, saying she was attacked as a teenager.
“The first time I ever experienced it, I was 15 and noticed a man following me,” Richards said. “He came from behind me, put his hand around my mouth, grabbed my vagina and started dragging me, and I froze, like I couldn’t even scream for help.
“It’s so scary to be in that situation, you know, at that age and be so vulnerable. And I have three daughters, and I never want them to have to experience that. And also if something, God forbid, is strong enough.’
The Starship Troopers actress talks about the traumatic life experience, which she says was caused by an exercise in the program called helicopter extraction, which is used by the Army Special Forces
The Bravo alum said of her motivation for joining the program: “Yes, I get completely overwhelmed by certain scary situations, and I want to learn how to stay calm and do something.”
Richards made further comments about the past incident in a confessional segment of the show.
“I don’t think I’ve talked about a lot of what I went through, and it’s very scary,” Richards said. “I don’t know if I could get over my past.”
Richards previously revealed she ruptured her breast implants during the show, which was filmed in Wales.
“I jumped off a bridge and I tore my implants off that thing,” Richards said Friday on Jeff Lewis Live on Sirius XM. ‘I still have to have them redone. I should have done that a month ago, but I couldn’t because we were filming.’
Other notable names competing with Richards on the Fox series include Brody Jenner, Stephen Baldwin, Kayla Nicole, Jordyn Wieber, Christy Carlson Romano, Carey Hart, Golden Tate, Cam Newton, Alana Blanchard, Landon Donovan, Marion Jones, Nathan Adrian, Kyla Pratt, Ali Fedotowsky and Trista Sutter.
Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test airs on Fox Wednesday at 8/7c.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit rainn.org.