I’ve long been a fan of Denise Richards but not so much for her acting (anyone remember Starship Troopers without cringing?). Instead, I loved her reality show It’s Complicated and the sweet dynamic Denise shared with her animals, daughters and doting Dad Irv. Everyone thought she’d gone crazy when she took one year old daughter Sam Sheen and walked out of her marriage with Charlie Sheen while burstingly pregnant with daughter #2 Lola Sheen.
Charlie certainly tried to make out like she was crazy, but when her ex had his epic meltdown that cost him his gig on Two and a Half Men despite his insistence that he was “winning” it all became crystal clear. Denise got out just in time! But what was great was that even when Charlie was at his lowest, Denise worked hard to let him continue to co-parent their daughters.
When he and a hooker trashed the New York hotel room, Denise (with daughters in tow) stood by his side. And more recently, she’s been standing by Charlie’s ex #3 Brooke Mueller. Despite Brooke’s troubled past and all her times in and out of rehab, Denise has made it a point to become close friends with Brooke. She is, after all, the Mom of her daughter’s brothers – twins Bob Sheen and Max Sheen.
Brooke and Denise have been hanging out together all summer and fall, with the kids in two – all five of them. In addition to their four fathered by Charlie, Denise adopted Eloise Richards on her own. The ladies shop together, dine together and take the kids out for fun activities like toy shopping and trips to the pumpkin patch. Both seem committed to their friendship and the bonding between the brothers and their sisters. Richard’s doting Dad Irv has also bonded with Bob and Max despite that they aren’t his grandkids. That old guy rocks! Love me some Irv…
And in early September, Denise threw a birthday party for Brooke – and even invited their shared ex along. But since then, Brooke has gone downhill and passed out this weekend, requiring a 911 call to revive her. She blamed it on exhaustion – but don’t they always? That excuse seems too farfetched since she checked into rehab just days later to treat an addiction to Adderall. She had planned to leave her twins with the nanny, but opted instead for Denise.
Denise readily agreed to take in the boys and I’m sure was giving them loving care. In many photos of her outings with Brooke, Denise carries one of the young boys on her hip while Brooke similarly totes the other. Given her big heart and obvious love of children, this seems the best place for Brooke to have left her boys while she gets straightened out (hopefully – this is rehab stint #19)!
Sheen was unavailable to take in the boys because of his hectic work schedule on his new F/X hit Anger Management. But reports have just come in that Brooke has abruptly pulled Max and Bob out of Denise’s care today because she wanted to take them – along with all her girls – to a Christmas party at Sheen’s. Apparently Brooke and Charlie are in an epic feud over whether the nanny he hired is spying on her and she doesn’t want the boys near their Dad.
I hope that someone steps in and decides that Brooke isn’t up to making decisions like this right now. She’s pulled the boys and given them to her Mom to care for and she’s rumored to be out of rehab this Sunday and home in time for Christmas. That would make her rehab stay just seven days – not long enough to cure a hangnail, much less a stimulant addiction!
Please Brooke – give your boys back to Denise so they can be with their sisters – and stay in rehab until you are all better. I bet those boys are thrilled to be with their Aunt Denise and her bevy of animals and his sweet sisters and will cope better there than away from them…
Image credit: FAMEFLYNET PICTURES
