Richards’ appearance in new photos caused concern amid her divorce from estranged husband Aaron Phypers
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New images of Denise Richards are not what they seem.
After making abuse allegations against her ex-husband Aaron Phypers, the actress, 54, sparked concern when she stepped out with a dark mark under her eye on Tuesday, Aug. 5.
However, a source tells PEOPLE that the apparent bruising in the photos, which show Richards running errands in Los Angeles wearing a baseball cap, is a result of a cosmetic procedure.
“It’s not a black eye,” the insider says. “It’s lighting and shadows. She also had micro-needling PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma).”
This treatment is commonly used to reduce scarring, wrinkles and hyperpigmentation and can cause discoloration to the skin while it’s healing, according to Healthline.
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The outing comes on the heels of an incident where police responded to Phypers’ home.
As PEOPLE previously reported, law enforcement officers were called to the Calabasas home that Phypers, his parents and his brother currently live in after Richards attempted to pick up one of her dogs on Sunday, Aug. 3.
While the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum has a temporary restraining order against Phypers due to allegations of domestic violence, the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Department confirmed to PEOPLE that authorities “did not have any evidence that a crime occurred.”
In a statement to PEOPLE, Richards’ divorce attorney Brett Berman claimed that she “did not violate a restraining order” by going to the property.
“On August 3, 2025, after confirming that Mr. Phypers was not present in her home, Ms. Richards entered the home to retrieve her dogs after learning that Mr. Phypers had put down one of her other dogs without her knowledge or permission,” Berman said.
PEOPLE confirms Phypers was present at the time Richards came by.
Phypers pushed back against that narrative, telling PEOPLE it was “absolutely false, not true on both accusations.”
“Denise’s attorney has consistently struck out in pursuit of the truth,” Phypers said in a statement. “There is a difference between telling the truth and trying to protect your client.”
“Having the title of attorney or being a celebrity does not put you above the law,” he continued. “It does not give you the right to humiliate others for the sake of your interests. Both of these actions have been readily apparent here in the last couple of weeks.”
A source close to Phypers also told PEOPLE that Richards was screaming and banging on the door of the home to get inside, and Phypers left through a side door when he heard her.
Superior Court of Californi;Robin L Marshall/Getty
Richards was granted a TRO in July, shortly after Phypers filed for divorce, citing “irreconcilable differences.”
In her request, Richards claimed Phypers “repeatedly abused” her throughout their six-year marriage.
“Aaron would frequently violently choke me, violently squeeze my head with both hands, tightly squeeze my arms, violently slap me in my face and head, aggressively slam my head into the bathroom towel rack, threaten to kill me, hold me down with his knee on my back to the point where I would have to plead with him to get off me so that he would not kill me and hack into my laptop and phone and download all of my text messages,” Richards alleged in court documents obtained by PEOPLE.
“Aaron regularly threatened to ‘break my jaw’ and would cry, beg me to stay, and promise to get help — none of which ever happened,” she continued, adding that Phypers allegedly “has caused me at least three concussions.”
She further alleged that she was “afraid” to speak out against Phypers because he “has repeatedly threatened to kill himself and me if I reported him to the police, among his other threats of harm to me and himself if he is reported for his abuse to anyone.”
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Phypers denied abusing Richards in a statement to PEOPLE.
“Let me be unequivocally clear: I have never physically or emotionally abused Denise — or anyone,” he said at the time. “These accusations are completely false and deeply hurtful. Denise and I, like many couples, have faced our share of challenges, but any suggestion of abuse is categorically untrue. I have always tried to approach our marriage with love, patience, and respect.”
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.