If you were around in 2008, you probably remember the absolute chaos surrounding Denise Richards. She wasn't just a Bond girl or the star of Wild Things anymore. She was "the ex-wife." Specifically, the ex-wife of Charlie Sheen, who at the time was the highest-paid actor on television and a walking tabloid magnet. People were obsessed. And then, E! dropped Denise Richards: It’s Complicated.
It was a weird time for reality TV. Keeping Up with the Kardashians had just started finding its legs—literally, this was the second show Ryan Seacrest ever produced—and the "docuseries" vibe was still a bit of a Wild West. Denise was being hammered in the press. Every day was a new headline calling her a home-wrecker or a gold digger or a bad mom. Honestly, she looked exhausted. So, she did what most famous people do when they feel backed into a corner: she hired a camera crew to show "the real her."
Why Denise Richards: It’s Complicated was actually a huge risk
Most people think reality shows are easy money. For Denise, it was a legal nightmare before the first episode even aired. Imagine trying to film your life and your ex-husband—who happens to be Charlie Sheen—goes to court to block your kids from being on screen. He called the whole project "greedy, vain, and exploitative."
She won that battle, by the way. A judge ruled in January 2008 that Sam and Lola could appear on the show. But that win came with a price. The public was skeptical. They wanted to know why she’d put her toddlers in front of cameras during such a messy divorce.
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The show itself was... well, it was a lot of things. It was funny, it was heartbreaking, and yeah, it was kinda boring in spots. You had Denise dealing with the death of her mother, Joni, which was genuinely heavy. Then, in the next scene, she’s trying to figure out how to stop her pet pig, Charlotte, from humping everything in the house. The tonal shifts were wild.
The tabloid war and the "C-Word" incident
One of the most authentic things about Denise Richards: It’s Complicated was how it pulled back the curtain on the paparazzi machine. In one episode, Denise actually goes to a tabloid’s office to confront a journalist. She was tired of the narrative that she stole Richie Sambora from Heather Locklear.
It got heated. Like, "bleeped-out-screaming" heated. Denise ended up calling a reporter a "cunt," and honestly? A lot of fans kind of loved her for it. It was the first time we saw that she wasn't just some passive victim of the gossip cycle. She was angry. She was protective. She was human.
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What most people get wrong about the show
A lot of critics at the time—Variety, Entertainment Weekly, the Boston Herald—absolutely trashed it. They gave it D-grades and called it a "steaming pile of pig poop." They thought it was just another vanity project. But looking back from 2026, the show was actually a survival tactic.
Denise has admitted recently that her divorce from Charlie Sheen basically blacklisted her in Hollywood for a while. Because Charlie was the "star" of Two and a Half Men, the industry took his side. She couldn't get acting gigs. She had two kids and a third on the way (Eloise, whom she adopted later). She needed a job. The reality show wasn't just about being famous; it was about paying the bills and reclaiming a narrative that had been stolen from her.
Who was in the "Complicated" circle?
The cast wasn't just Denise and her kids. It was a whole ecosystem:
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- Irv Richards: Her dad, who moved in after her mom passed away. He was easily the most lovable person on the show.
- Michelle: Her sister, who provided the "normal person" perspective.
- Sho and Sabrina: Her assistants who were constantly caught in the crossfire of her chaotic schedule.
- The Animals: Seriously, she had a zoo. Dogs, cats, and the infamous pigs.
The show lasted two seasons. By the time it ended in 2009, the "villain" label had started to peel off. People realized she was just a woman trying to keep it together while her ex was, well, being Charlie Sheen.
The legacy of the "Complicated" era
If you watch The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, you can see the DNA of this show everywhere. Denise eventually joined RHOBH years later, and she brought that same "I don’t give a damn" energy. She’s always been more comfortable being "messy" than being perfect.
Interestingly, E! recently brought her back for a new series, Denise Richards and the Wild Things. It’s almost like a spiritual successor. Sami and Lola are adults now, and the drama has shifted from divorce to the complexities of OnlyFans and new marriages (and new divorces, like her recent split from Aaron Phypers).
Denise Richards: It’s Complicated wasn't a masterpiece of television. It was a snapshot of a woman in crisis mode. It showed that even if you’re one of the most beautiful women in the world, your life can still be a total disaster. And sometimes, the only way to get through it is to laugh at the pig humping your leg.
Next Steps for Fans of the Show
- Watch the old episodes: A few of the original 17 episodes are still floating around on YouTube or through the E! app if you want to see the 2008 fashion choices.
- Check out the new docuseries: If you want to see the "aftermath" Denise talks about, the Netflix series aka Charlie Sheen gives a much darker, more serious look at that same time period.
- Follow the new E! series: Denise Richards and the Wild Things is the 2026 version of her life, and it's just as chaotic as the original, just with more grown-up problems.