Inside Garcelle Beauvais's Relationship With Denise Richards

Denise Richards is still relatively new to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, but she's already become the center of a ton of drama. In early 2020, rumors leaked that she'd had a secret affair with castmate Brandi Glanville. Richards has continuously denied being with anyone but her husband, alternative energy therapist Aaron Phypers, but the gossip has only escalated, with leaked texts and cryptic social media posts galore. Richards was even rumored to be quitting the show at one point. The true story will play out on the upcoming 10th season of the reality TV series, according to People.

Through it all, Richards' friend and castmate, Garcelle Beauvais, has been there to witness the ups and downs of being a Real Housewife. Both actresses are new to the series, and Beauvais told Us Weekly that Richards has become a dear friend. "I got really close with Denise," Beauvais explained. "Denise and I are really good buds. I've been friends with Denise and [Lisa] Rinna for a long time. Erika [Jayne] I love, because her and I are very similar in terms of we say it how it is and we keep it moving. I really enjoyed working with her a lot."

Beauvais also gave her two cents on what the Glanville ordeal has been like for Richards, calling it a "tough" and "shocking" situation.

Garcelle Beauvais's inside update on how Denise Richards is coping with all The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills drama is revealing.

"We only texted and she's like 'Girl, I have so much to tell you,'" Beauvais told Us Weekly at the Los Angeles premiere of Cirque du Soleil Volta on Jan. 21, 2020. "So we'll catch up and figure it out, but it's tough when you have everything exposed and you have your side of it and people are seeing their side of it."

All the drama was not only hard on Richards, but also on everyone else, including Beauvais. We all know just how real things get on Real Housewives, and the cast members certainly aren't immune to the tension. "It shocked me that things are out there already, because I feel like who's leaking? But, it's very shocking," Beauvais said. "Sometimes it was hard for me to be there. Sometimes it was hard for me to watch, if I can say that. Do you know what I mean? Because it's a new experience for me. I'm an actress and I'm used to that, so real life and seeing people sort of go after one another is a new thing for me in that sense."

We'll see how much more drama unfolds concerning poor Richards while viewers wait for Season 10!

Fans can probably glean from Garcelle Beauvais' comments above that she's a good friend, a sentiment that's not lost on Denise Richards. "Happy birthday to this beautiful woman @garcelle even more beautiful on the inside," Richards captioned a December 2019 shot of the pair. "I met her many many years ago one of our first jobs together in tv. So much respect for this classy strong compassionate friend. Garcelle you are a true gem of a friend. Have an amazing birthday and you are ageless girl & I love you."

In addition to the mom's kind message, sources claim she's appreciative of Beauvais "defending" her against the drama, per Hollywood Life. "The ladies are still filming the current season and just want her to be honest and truthful about the things she's said as they were so hurt," the insider added in the January 2020 report. "This caused a huge rift in the cast. The only one who jumped to her defense was Garcelle."

Well, it's nice to know Richards has someone in her corner during this tough time.

There have been ongoing rumors that Denise Richards is set to leave RHOBH after Season 10, chatter supposedly fueled by her co-stars. "A lot of the 'RHOBH' cast feel that Denise will be done with the show and won't even show up to the reunion," a production insider shared with Hollywood Life. "They feel she has no interest in being around them anymore, as she hasn't filmed in a group setting in ages after saying she'd show up and not." But before you count Richards out, take note of this telling message she shared on Twitter in January 2020: "Any good tag lines for me for #rhobh ?!? And no... I did not quit."

We're not sure if Garcelle Beauvais' friendship factored into the actor's decision, although we wouldn't be surprised. Duking it out on reality TV tends to be easier when you have a fabulous BFF by your side, right?