Over a decade before Denise Richards, 49, joined the cast of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills she was friends of Heather Locklear, 58 — however, their relationship turned sour after Denise began dating Heather’s ex-husband Richie Sambora, 61. The old drama was front and center on the season 10 reunion, after Lisa Rinna, 57, brought it up!
“You know, I go back to when she was friends with Heather Locklear,” Lisa began saying on the Sept. 16 episode, as Denise corrected her and said she “actually wasn’t” friends with the longtime Melrose Place alum. Denise then added, “Really, [Lisa]? She was friends with my ex-husband, [Charlie Sheen], not me.” A confused Andy then wondered: what did go down between Heather and Denise all those years ago?
“I don’t understand the Heather Locklear reference,” Andy said, as Lisa and Denise continued to go back and forth about Denise’s “insinuations” that she’s a “bad friend.” Andy then added, “Can you clue me in about the Heather Locklear thing? I’m sorry to keep bringing it up, but I’m kind of interested.” Lisa instructed Andy to Google it, but we’re breaking down the history right here.
The origin of the drama between Heather and Denise goes back to Richie Sambora. Heather divorced the Bon Jovi guitarist — who she shares daughter Ava, 22, with — in 2006 after an 11-year-marriage. Denise and Heather became friends via Denise’s ex-husband Charlie Sheen, 55, who co-starred with Heather on Spin City. Denise filed for divorce in 2005 while pregnant with their daughter Lola, 15, citing “irreconcilable differences” (the couple are also parents to daughter Sam, 16). Prior to both splits, Heather and Denise were frequently photographed and seen hanging out.
After both splits happened, Denise began dating Richie — leading to speculation that she had broken up Heather and Richie’s relationship. “The thing with Heather, that’s been hard…You can’t help who you fall for and that friendship, unfortunately, was done and wasn’t salvageable,” Denise said to Entertainment Tonight at the time. “You know, she wasn’t my best friend. She was a close friend in the last couple of years. I hadn’t known her my whole life [like] people [are] portraying this,” she also said, explaining in another interview with People that she and Richie bonded over their parents both battling cancer.
“It’s been tough having people think that I’m such a crappy friend,” the now Bold & Beautiful star added, once again confirming neither she or Richie “meddled” in marriages. “I did not steal someone’s husband. Did I date a former friend’s ex-husband? Yes. Did I break up a marriage? No.” Denise and Richie later split in 2007, and it’s safe to say her friendship with Heather was long over by that point.
While the old tea was practically ancient by Hollywood standards, Brandi Glanville, 47, alleged that Heather got in touch with her over the Drinking and Tweeting author’s recent affair drama with Denise. “Heather just reached out to me and said ‘thank you’ with a bunch of hearts and prayer [emojis],” she said on Watch What Happens Live to Andy.
“It just made me feel like I was probably bringing this side of Denise out for everyone to see, and I wrote back, ‘Of course, the truth always comes out,’ and she wrote a bunch more hearts,” Brandi went on. “And then I said, ‘Hey, you should be on Watch What Happens Live with me,’ and [Heather] said, ‘I’ve already had a cease and desist from Denise, so I’m not going to do it.'” Interestingly, it was also alleged that Denise slapped Brandi with a cease and desist letter earlier this year. Brandi did not provide additional details about the alleged cease and desist between Brandi and Heather.