Denise Richards Rumored To Be Leaving RHOBH Due To Alleged Affair

Are you sitting down? If not, you may want to find a couch and get comfortable. Maybe even pop some popcorn while you're at it because this story is going to take a little time to unpack. According to the Daily Mail, the latest season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills may be the most dramatic yet, since the U.K. publication is alleging that Denise Richards is leaving the show after an affair with co-star Brandi Glanville. The site exclusively cited "multiple production sources" in its Jan. 8, 2020 report.

But before getting ahead of ourselves, it's worth noting that Richards' publicist told People a few days later, "It isn't true." As for Glanville, she didn't return the magazine's request for comment, but might have referenced the still-unfolding drama with some cryptic Instagram posts and a few expletive-filled tweets. Now that all of our heads are adequately spinning, let's try to get to the bottom of this messy situation, shall we?

According to the Daily Mail, a rumored affair between RHOBH co-stars Denise Richards and Brandi Glanville is the reason Richards may be stepping away from the show. The publication claims that a "dramatic confrontation" took place while the cast was filming in Rome in the fall of 2019. If the sources are to be believed, Glanville and Richards began "seeing each other" in early 2019 with the latter supposedly claiming she was in an open marriage with her husband Aaron Phypers.

No judgment toward anyone with open relationships, *but* the Daily Mail sources allege that Richards may not have been fully honest, "Denise claimed to Brandi that she was in an open marriage, but she wasn't and this has hurt Denise's husband Aaron very much," an insider alleged. Apparently, fellow RHOBH castmates on the trip — Lisa Rinna, Kyle Richards, Teddi Mellencamp, Erika Jayne, Dorit Kemsley, Garcelle Beauvais, and Sutton Stracke — decided to confront Richards about the situation, and it did not go smoothly. 

Page Six reported on some drama in Rome as well. Its source claimed: "Brandi has always been honest from the get-go. She's never been the one to deny anything. Apparently, she has receipts too." 

Let's reiterate, though: Richards' rep has already denied the hookup rumors to both the Daily Mail and to People, so take the above details with a large grain of salt.

Soon after the controversial report began to spread, Brandi Glanville responded on Instagram — well, sort of. She responded by saying she's not going to respond. Along with a photo of herself attempting to meditate, she wrote, "When you want to respond but are not 'allowed' to..." 

According to People, Glanville also seemingly referenced the situation on an Instagram Story, sharing a fan's request for her to "spill the tea." While she hasn't spilled anything yet, she did hint that there's something brewing beneath the surface.

Glanville posted another intriguing update on Jan. 13, 2020, sharing a screenshot of herself from the show with the quote: "Thank God for Xanax." She captioned the pic: "New Year, Same S**t." While it could purely be a coincidence, some fans are convinced it's related to the Denise Richards situation, writing comments such as: "You arent the one who's walked away....speaks volumes lovie."

In case that's not enough, Glanville also posted a few very telling tweets. She first wrote, "Everyone is annoying as f**k," and followed that up with, "I soooooo want to tweet my thoughts right now! This is soo f**king stupid." Hours later, she added, "Their [sic] is a huge difference between hooking up with someone a couple of times and having a romantic relationship with someone." Again, no mention of Denise Richards by name, but the sentiment sure seems to coincide with all the gossip.

If Denise Richards does leave the show — keyword: "if" — she wouldn't be the first to exit The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast. Just last year, fans were shocked when Lisa Vanderpump announced she was walking away. "I had a great time on Housewives. But to have negativity during a time in my life when I needed to try to be positive ... I decided it was over," Vanderpump told People. Not only was LVP dealing with on-screen drama (aka Puppygate), but she was also grieving the loss of her brother. "I shouldn't have even committed to do that season ... I wasn't ready," she said. 

In addition to Vanderpump, other memorable exits include Yolanda Hadid, who left RHOBH in 2016 to focus on her health and family. At the time, she announced, "I am leaving what's over without denying its past importance in my life. I believe that every exit is a new entry and with that in mind I say goodbye to my [Bravo] family as I continue to focus on ... my recovery, my children and bring back the privacy within our home." Hadid has been open with fans about her battle with Lyme disease. 

Suffice to say, cast members have come and gone over the years for a range of reasons. If Richards chooses to part ways with her fellow Bravolebrities, it wouldn't be unprecedented.

Mixed messages are swirling, but one thing is for sure: Fans will have to tune into the new season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills if they want to see what really went down. According to one of the Daily Mail sources, "The best thing was this was all done on camera and the show's fans will get to see it all go down." Similarly, People is reporting that the drama will "play out on the season."  

In fact, Richards may still be filming the show despite reports to the contrary. According to a Page Six insider, "There will be more [filming] in the coming weeks with [Richards.]" Either way, this season's RHOBH reunion is guaranteed to be epic, so Andy Cohen should probably start prepping his questions now. In the meantime, fans should keep an eye on Brandi Glanville's social media — because who knows what hints she'll drop next.