**Aaron Phypers’ Cousin Backs Denise Richards, Alleges Abuse in Divorce Battle**
*October 6, 2025, Updated 6:27 p.m. ET*
Aaron Phypers’ cousin is standing behind Denise Richards in her ongoing divorce battle, claiming she witnessed the actress’ now ex-husband abusing her, RadarOnline.com has revealed.
During a court hearing on Monday, October 6, regarding Richards’ request to make her temporary restraining order against Phypers permanent, Kathleen McAllister made these shocking allegations under oath.
### What Did Aaron Phypers’ Cousin Accuse Him Of?
“I saw Aaron hit Denise, and immediately she had a really bad black eye,” McAllister testified. “I’m literally in shock now to this day about it.”
Earlier this year, Richards shared a photo of herself with a black eye, accusing Phypers of causing the injury. McAllister, who worked at Phypers’ medical office in Malibu for five years, described how he allegedly struck Richards with the palm of his hand.
“[Denise] was in shock, I was in shock,” she recalled.
### ‘Horrific’ Acts of Abuse
According to McAllister, the couple was engaged in a heated argument following Phypers’ accusations that Richards had placed “listening devices” in his office. “There was alcohol mixed in,” she added. “It was an evening of chaos and arguing that kept escalating.”
Phypers, 53, filed for divorce from the 54-year-old Richards on July 7, 2025, citing their date of separation as July 4. Despite this, the two have continued to exchange verbal attacks, with both sides levying serious accusations.
McAllister claimed she witnessed “horrific” acts of abuse by Phypers against Richards throughout their relationship. She described one incident where he “pinned [Richards] against the concrete wall where his truck was parked at the office.”
“He was choking her and her head slammed against the [wall] and caused a concussion,” McAllister stated. “She was just really upset, in pain, disoriented. I was concerned she could have died.”
### Disturbing Details of Abuse
In another altercation, McAllister said she heard “thrashing” in the bathroom, where Richards reportedly sustained a brutal head injury after Phypers allegedly slammed her head into the toilet paper rack.
The testimony also included a grave claim that Phypers threatened to kill Richards “several times.” When asked if she feared for Richards’ life, McAllister responded, “We both were. He threatened to kill us.”
She further explained, “He just would be raging and threatening that if we told anybody, he’d kill us all. As abuse escalated through the years, he exploited our empathy.”
Before testifying, Richards’ lawyer noted that McAllister agreed to come forward on the condition her name remain off the witness list, as she is “deathly afraid of Mr. Phypers.”
### Phypers Denies Abuse Allegations
Phypers has not publicly responded to the detailed claims made in McAllister’s testimony. However, in an interview with *Inside Edition*, he denied ever striking Richards.
“It looks like makeup,” Phypers said after being shown a photo of the actress with a black eye. “I did not cause a black eye, bruise, or anything.”
He suggested that Richards is fabricating the abuse allegations out of anger over their public split. “She’s upset I publicly dumped her to the world, and she’s mad. So how does she retaliate? File a bogus abuse claim.”
### Current Legal Proceedings
Since filing for divorce, Richards accused Phypers of domestic violence and was granted a temporary restraining order against him. The couple is scheduled to return to court on October 8 to determine whether the restraining order will be made permanent.
Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.
https://radaronline.com/p/aaron-phypers-cousin-testimony-claims-choked-denise-richards-died/
