Denise Richards has opened up about why she really divorced Charlie Sheen when she was six months pregnant with their second daughter.
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The 51-year-old and the Two and a Half Men star ended their relationship in 2005, with Denise now revealing that there were "many things" that caused their "toxic" marriage to break down. "The behind-the-scenes stuff was way worse than what was out there," she told Dear Media's Divorced Not Dead podcast host Caroline Stanbury.
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Despite putting on a united front in public, Denise and Charlie were anything but happy at home: "It was really bad," she added.
The final straw in their marriage came when Denise asked herself if she would want their daughters, Sami, 18, and Lola, 17, "to be married to this man?" "No offense to him," she said. "But I think he would take that and understand what I'm saying. It was very toxic."
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While their marriage didn't work out, Denise has no regrets about marrying Charlie. "I really do feel that he and I were brought together to have our daughters," she explained.
© Photo: Getty ImagesDenise and Charlie split in 2005
The former couple even gave their relationship another try shortly after the birth of Lola, but it didn't last long as their reunion only made Denise realize that she needed to end their marriage.
"It made me also know I could one day tell my girls that I did everything I could possibly do to make this family unit," she said. "I felt the most guilty splitting up the family unit. I struggled with that for years."
Denise added: "There is a lot that the public doesn't know, and you never know what goes on behind closed doors. It was not a good situation."
© Photo: Getty ImagesDenise is now married to Aaron Phypers
It may have taken some years, but Denise and Charlie are finally in a better place. "To this day, Charlie does know he can call me at any time, no matter what," she said.
"I don't care what he says or does, I will show up and be there because I always wanted him—and still do—to be the best dad for our daughters."
The Wild Things star is now married to holistic medicine expert Aaron Phypers and adopted daughter Eloise in 2011.
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