Denise Richards Explains Her Bizarre 'RHOBH' Return: "I Made an A** Out of Myself"

Denise Richards recently made a surprising comeback to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, stirring up a whirlwind of speculation surrounding her peculiar behavior during a dinner party. The 54-year-old actress, who bid adieu to the Bravo series in September 2020 after two seasons, addressed the confusion on the Just B with Bethenny Frankel podcast. Eventually, Richards stated that she wouldn't rewatch the episode "because I'm sure I obviously made an ass out of myself." But what exactly went down? Let's revisit the ordeal. 

The unexpected event unfolded when Garcelle Beauvais invited Denise to Kyle Richards' 'weed party.' A seemingly innocuous dinner turned into something more as Denise engaged in a heated exchange with Erika Girardi, sparking rumors of intoxication or influence. The reality TV star, however, explained that she doesn't typically indulge in weed or edibles due to their adverse effects on her body.

"I don't do weed, I don't do edibles, I don't do any of that," Richards clarified, reported Page Six. Despite assertions that the dinner would offer options without weed, Denise found herself feeling disoriented and unwell as the evening progressed. "I came home, and Aaron [Phypers, Denise's husband] was like, 'What is wrong with you?' And I go, 'I don't know.' I've never been like that," she recounted. Frankel inquired if she had consumed anything before the event, to which Denise admitted having just one drink due to nervousness around the other women.

Beyond the single drink, Denise also stated she was just 'not feeling well.' Nonetheless, she proceeded to attend the gathering after three negative COVID tests, only to experience her condition worsening throughout the evening, culminating in a surreal haze of memories, as per a People report. "Maybe there was a mix-up in the meal or the water or something. I don't know. All I know is when I got home, I was like, what, there's something wrong with me," Denise mused, contemplating potential mix-ups in the food served at the party.

Asked about potential regrets upon her return, Denise candidly admitted, "I won't even watch it because I'm sure I obviously made an a** out of myself. So I was like, why the hell am I going to watch myself like that?" Her interaction with Girardi, she explained, was an attempt to address perceived mistreatment. Denise had previously confirmed her unplanned return to RHOBH in April, describing it as a 'spur-of-the-moment' thing during Beauvais' screening. Denise explained, "I was at [Garcelle's] screening as a friend — like a real friend — I didn't tell anyone I was gonna be there. Production didn't know. I just showed up, like, for real life, as a real friend in real life. The next day, I was asked to go to some events — and so it's been actually fun."

Denise initially joined RHOBH in season 9 in 2019 and left after two seasons. The circumstances surrounding her exit involved negotiations and a failure to reach a deal. Explaining her departure ahead of season 11, she stated, "I went back and forth with it, and at the end of the day, I decided it was time for me to move on and focus on other projects that I have." As she navigates the aftermath of her 'bizarre' return, fans are left pondering the enigma of that memorable dinner party and the complexities of reality television dynamics.