Denise Richards had an emotional moment during The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills reunion. During the highly anticipated update show, which airs its first part next week, the newest member of the Bravo reality show broke down as she talked about her 8-year-old daughter, Eloise, and her health struggles, USA Today reports.
While Richards told Bravo host Andy Cohen that Eloise is “doing really good,” the actress said it was a rocky road leading up to the diagnosis of a chromosome disorder two years ago. Richards explained that Eloise has a deletion in chromosome 8, which has caused severe delays in her development and speech.
“It was a very difficult thing to diagnose. She went through a lot of (expletive). It was really hard. When I saw what was written on the medical report… it was hard to see it in black and white. it’s just hard to see it with your kid, you know?”
Richards’ Real Housewives co-stars and fellow moms Kyle Richards and Dorit Kemsley reportedly began to cry, while Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave and Lisa Rinna also became visibly upset as the Wild Things star opened up about her daughter’s heartbreaking developmental struggles and special needs.
Richards previously told People that Eloise didn’t start walking until she was 2-years-old and that at age 8, she only says a few words. The Bravo star said sometimes Eloise seems to feel like her age in understanding and other times she’s “emotionally 3-years-old.” Richards also admitted that doctors “don’t really have a road map” for Eloise’s particular case and that she doesn’t know if her daughter will ever be able to communicate like a typical child.
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Denise Richards adopted Eloise in 2011 as a single mom five years after her divorce from Charlie Sheen. The actress also shares two daughters, Lola, 14, and Sam, 15, with Sheen, who was her husband from 2002 to 2006. During her Real Housewives of Beverly Hills debut earlier this year, Richards poked fun at her co-parenting relationship with her ex-husband and set the record straight regarding rumors of Eloise’s paternity.
“I have a daughter, Eloise. She’s 7, and I adopted her when she was born as a single mom,” Richards said, per TooFab . “There was a rumor at one point that Eloise was Charlie’s child with a hooker, and that’s false.”
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills fans have already seen that Eloise is close with Denise’s new husband, Aaron Phypers, whom the RHOBH star married last September in a whirlwind wedding following his divorce from actress Nicollette Sheridan. Richards previously revealed that Phypers is planning to legally adopt her youngest daughter Eloise.
Part one of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills reunion kicks off Tuesday, July 16 on Bravo.