Denise Richards reflects on 2025: ‘Most painful'

Denise Richards is closing the chapter on what she describes as the most painful year of her life, offering a raw and emotional reflection as 2025 came to an end. 

The actress and reality TV alum opened up on Instagram with a deeply personal post that captures the emotional toll of a year marked by turmoil and change amid her ongoing divorce from Aaron Phypers.

Sharing a quiet photo of herself looking toward a setting sun while dressed in a black lace tank top, Richards summed up the past year with striking honesty. 

“Looking back at all the photos & videos I have of 2025, it feels like I’m looking at two different people & lived two different lives,” she wrote. 

She followed that with a line that set the tone for the post, calling 2025 “one of the most painful years I’ve lived.”

The 54-year-old referred to the past year as “the year of the snake,” describing it as a period of shedding and emotional reckoning. 

She reflected on a time of difficult truths coming to light, writing, “As painful as it is, I’m so grateful for the clarity.” 

Richards did not shy away from acknowledging the emotional weight she carried, adding, “I shed a lot of tears and felt pain & betrayal I never knew existed.”

Despite the heartbreak, Richards made it clear she did not face the year alone. 

She credited her strength to the people who stood by her, including family, longtime friends, new connections, her broader community, and colleagues. 

Expressing her gratitude, she wrote, “I’m so grateful to all of you,” recognizing the support that helped her endure the hardest moments.

While 2025 was defined by struggle, Richards also shared a note of hope.

She said she experienced “a lot of blessed happy moments” and revealed that in the final months of the year, she began to feel like herself again.

Looking ahead, she expressed optimism about the future, noting her excitement for what she called “the year of the Horse,” which begins on her birthday.

Richards ended her message by wishing her followers well, offering a heartfelt “Happy 2026!” to fans and to anyone else who, like her, “really went through it in 2025.” 

Her reflective post arrives as her divorce from Phypers continues, marking a moment of honesty, healing, and cautious optimism for the year ahead.