Denise Richards has two kids, Sami and Lola, with ex-husband Charlie Sheen, and a third child, Eloise, that she adopted after the stars split up.
Denise Richards, 50, is a proud mother to three daughters: Sami Sheen, 17, Lola Rose Sheen, 16, and Eloise Joni Richards. The actress and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum welcomed her eldest two daughters during her high-profile marriage to Charlie Sheen, which lasted from 2002 to 2005. A few years after her drama-filled split from Charlie, Denise adopted daughter Eloise as a single parent. Denise has since gotten remarried to Aaron Phypers, and together the couple are now Eloise’s legal parents.
As fans know, Denise’s relationship with Charlie was tumultuous, both during and after their marriage. Recently, Charlie was granted approval by a judge to no longer pay child support for Sami and Lola. This legal development came after Sami reportedly moved in with Charlie due to a disagreement “over her mother’s rules.” Below, everything you need to know about Denise Richards’ three children.
Sami Sheen
Denise Richards with daughters Sami and Lola (Photo: Eric Charbonneau/Shutterstock)Denise and Charlie’s eldest child, daughter Sami, was born on March 9, 2004. When Sami was only 1 years old, Denise filed a restraining order against Charlie — marking the most turbulent moment of the couple’s marriage yet. Denise officially filed for divorce the following month, and the divorce was finalized on November 30, 2006. Following a gnarly custody battle, Denise was given primary physical custody of their two kids, while Charlie got visitation rights.
But in the years since, Sami has spent time with both her parents. She appeared on RHOBH when Denise was a main cast member on seasons 9 and 10 of the hit Bravo series. As for Charlie, the Two and a Half Men actor was seen in a photo at Sami’s 17th birthday, alongside Lola and Denise. Sami’s bond with her father even transpired to the teen’s recent decision to move in with her father. A source told HollywoodLife in September, “Sami is a teenager, who didn’t like her mother’s rules. Like any mother and household, there are rules in Denise’s. She and Charlie have different rules and styles of parenting and [they] didn’t see eye to eye. Sami decided she liked Charlie’s rules better and wanted to go and live with her father, where she currently is staying. Denise is incredibly saddened by all of this, but knows she is doing her best as a mother.”
Lola Rose Sheen
Denise Richards with daughter Lola (Photo: MBB Images/BEI/Shutterstock)Lola, Denise and Charlie’s second child together, was born on June 1, 2005. While Denise was pregnant with Lola, she had filed the restraining order against Charlie. Lola was less than two years old when her parents were officially divorced. In the following years, Lola, like Sami, seemingly spent most of her time living with Denise, while also seeing Charlie on occasion. But both girls started spending more time with their famous dad as time went on, culminating in Sami recently moving in with her dad permanently. Lola, meanwhile, has been said to be splitting her time evenly between her parents.
“Lola splits time between both Charlie and Denise’s homes,” our insider said, “but Denise has been the primary caretaker for the girls for years. Denise is very saddened by all of this. She’s an incredible mother who loves her kids and would do anything in the world for them.”
Eloise Joni Richards
Denise Richards with daughter Eloise (Photo: Broadimage/Shutterstock)Over 4 years after Denise split from Charlie, the actress decided to adopt a third child, daughter Eloise. Denise adopted Eloise at birth following a two-year-long process, and gave her the middle name Joni after Denise’s mother. Eloise has Chromosome 8, Monosomy 8p, a rare chromosomal disorder that causes developmental delays.
Denise previously gushed over her youngest child in a May 2021 interview with Parents.com. “We’ve grown with her since she was a baby,” Denise said. “But she’s a sweet little angel and the happiest little girl and the littlest things make her so happy.” Denise also shared that Eloise was nicknamed the “animal whisperer” because of her communication tactics with the family’s pets. “She communicates in other ways with our animals. It is so sweet and so special to see that relationship,” Denise said.
Denise initially raised Eloise solo, but that all changed when she married Aaron in September 2018. After a few months, Denise revealed that Aaron was officially adopting Eloise as his own daughter. “He’s amazing as a daddy,” she said on The Talk in May 2019. “He’s amazing with my daughters and he’s adopting my youngest so it’s really great.”