Fans have been wondering if the real reason that Denise Richards left The Real Housewives had everything to do with her infamous ex.
Did Charlie Sheen pressure her to quit?
Throughout this season in particular, Denise Richards was adamant about not letting the show mess up things for her family.
That meant her marriage to her eccentric husband, Aaron Phypers. That meant no one saying the wrong things in front of her children.
And that also meant doing nothing to jeopardize her custody situation with her infamous ex-husband, Charlie Sheen.
Denise had a central, pivotal role in this season -- and plenty of conflict with Kyle even before her alleged affair with Brandi Glanville was revealed.
So why would she back out of another season, when she could likely have demanded that Bravo pay her whatever the hell she wanted?
Many fans have wondered if her ex-husband intervened, giving her an ultimatum: quit RHOBH or he would take her to family court for exposing their kids to that world.
But Page Six reports that, though Charlie Sheen supports Denise in her decision to hand over her diamond, it was not his doing.
Speaking through his publicist Jeffrey Ballard, he shared: "She does what she wants in these matters.
"And," Charlie added, "I applaud her decision of 'one and done.'"
Denise was actually on two seasons of the show.
It is unclear if Charlie is unaware of the details of his ex-wife's career, despite them being public knowledge.
It may also be the case that he is aware that she did two seasons, but just wanted to say "one and done" because that's how his brain works.
Reports say that Denise left because Bravo wasn't willing to pay enough to meet Denise's demands for increased salary.
On the other hand, Denise's camp has claimed that Denise left without negotiating because she was so ticked off about her experience on the show.
That is kind of sad to consider, since it was Denise's decision to make that season miserable for herself. Weird.
Even before Denise was embroiled in the Brandi drama, she seemed to not be having a great time.
We know that editing can be selective, but ... from the strip club steak incident to Aaron claiming that he's being followed by, uh, Big Pharma, Denise felt "off."
A little feuding with Kyle Richards is normal and healthy for anyone. But Denise just didn't seem to be vibing with the show.
If your heart isn't in being on the show, you're not going to have a good time.
Denise took offense at every mild jab from her castmates and seemed to build up intense and enduring resentments.
That is not a recipe for happiness. That kind of bitterness will only fester and lead to misery.
Denise was also unwilling to play ball, apparenting making it rain cease-and-desist orders in her futile attempt to silence the stories about her.
The sad thing is that she could have really had a powerful storyline and a much better time on another season.
We're just glad to hear that, whether it was finances or unhappiness, it was Denise's call to quit the show.
