Denise Richards has revealed she will undergo surgery in December, a detail included in new court documents filed as part of her ongoing and tense divorce from estranged husband Aaron Phypers.

The update came as a judge denied Phypers' emergency request to speed up a spousal-support hearing, ruling that he did not show enough urgency to justify the change.

Richards, 54, explained in her filing that she "will be unavailable for a large portion of the month" due to her planned surgery.

The documents did not say what type of procedure she will have, and her team has not commented further. The hearing Phypers hoped to move was already set for January 5, 2026, Yahoo reported.

Tensions between the former couple have been high since Richards was granted a five-year restraining order earlier this month.

She testified that Phypers, 53, physically abused her throughout their six-year marriage.

Phypers, who filed for divorce in July, has denied the accusations and is now facing four criminal charges, including two counts related to injuring a spouse or partner and two counts of attempting to stop a witness by force or threat.

Denise Richards' Team Seeks $2,000 Sanction

In opposing his request for an earlier hearing, Richards' attorney argued that "there is no emergency, no irreparable harm, and no immediate danger."

He also asked the judge to move the January hearing because he had a scheduling conflict.

According to People, the filing further accused Phypers of driving up legal costs and asked the court to fine him $2,000 for what Richards' team called an unnecessary request.

The judge denied Phypers' application, explaining that court congestion and scheduling issues supported pushing the hearing to January 7 instead. The judge also reminded both parties to follow the existing restraining order.

Phypers told the court he needed the hearing moved forward because he feared he could soon become homeless.

He claimed he had no working vehicle, was in danger of eviction, and was struggling to pay for food. He also said he needed money for a defense attorney for his upcoming criminal hearing.

In his filing, Phypers listed more than $300,000 in past-due bills he wanted Richards to cover, including rent, car payments, utilities, storage fees, and legal costs. He wrote, "My financial situation gets worse by the day."

Richards did not publicly respond to his claims, but the court record makes clear she will spend much of December focusing on her health.

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Denise richards, Surgery