Denise Richards did not allow her marital struggles with her ex-husband, Charlie Sheen, to affect his relationship with the children. In a recent episode of the Sibling Revelry with Kate and Oliver Hudson podcast, the actress opened up about keeping the truth from their daughters, Sami, 21, and Lola, 19, while Sheen struggled personally and professionally.
The couple married in 2002 and welcomed their first daughter, Sami, in 2004. Richards filed for a divorce in 2005 when she was six months pregnant with their second daughter, Lola. Eventually, they were separated in 2006. However, Richards shared that she has kept a healthy relationship with her ex-husband over the years for the sake of their children, even to the extent of lying.
Charlie Sheen’s scandals through the years
Denise Richards recalled one Christmas when Charlie Sheen got arrested, and he called from jail to wish her and the kids a Merry Christmas. The 54-year-old noted that instead of telling the girls where their father was calling from, she made excuses for him. At the time, they were playing with their toys and did not want to be interrupted, but Richards said, “I think Dad’s gonna be a little busy later.”
Charlie Sheen got arrested that year on Christmas Day following the assault accusation of his wife at the time, Brooke Mueller. He pleaded guilty and spent 30 days in jail. Despite this scandal, Denise Richards shared that she made sure their children were not aware of the whole situation because she did not want to impose her feelings or experience with him on them.
Uniting the family
The actress felt that both Sami and Lola had a right to enjoy the privileges of having a father, and she did not want to deny them because of the scandals. Richards noted that these issues continued until they had important events at school for which he was supposed to show up.
However, Denise Richards shared that she might have shielded the truth from their children to a fault, and they now get upset as they discover things about him.