Denise Richards is what a lot of fans would call a survivor. After all, she’s had a rollercoaster of a life, and she’s seen plenty of ups and downs, both personally and professionally. But through all the storms and rainbows, Denise Richards never stopped believing, smiling, or standing up for herself. As a matter of fact, she’s a successful Hollywood actress and television star who is still making headlines today.

But unlike so many others in the celebrity world, none of those headlines include questionable behavior, questionable appearances, or questionable quotes from the actress. Instead, Denise, along with her three children, is determined to prove all of her critics wrong by living her best, most wholesome life. She could have easily gone down the same route that many actresses in her position have gone, but she didn’t want to. That’s because for Denise, there’s only one thing that matters the most in her life: her family and her three daughters.

With that being said, here are 20 things that you probably didn’t know about Denise Richards, her family life, and her hopes and dreams for her daughters. Take a look at our list below and let us know what you think!

20 Her Midwest Childhood

Denise Richards says that she grew up in a happy home with her two parents in the Midwest. It might have been a simple life, but for the actress, it was a memorable childhood. However, Denise understands that raising children these days is definitely much harder, compared to how her parents raised her. “I’m most proud of raising my kids, especially in a time that is very different from how I was raised,” says Denise, who is a mom to Sam, 14, Lola, 13, and Eloise, 7, according to People Magazine. “It’s extremely hard to keep children grounded. This is not an easy time to grow up.”

19 Her Big Break in Hollywood Didn't Come Easy

It’s without a doubt that a lot of people best remember Denise Richards from her first major box office hit, Wild Things. The movie helped make her the household name that she is today. Unfortunately, her big break in Hollywood didn’t come easy. Denise told Women on the Fence, “There’s always that little word called REJECTION. It happens to everyone. There were many times that I got discouraged when I didn’t get a role, but I loved what I was doing so much, it was this love that kept me motivated. I had a passion for acting, and I wouldn’t give up.”

18 Supporting Charlie Sheen’s Other Kids

Anyone who has been paying attention to Charlie Sheen in the last ten years will know that he’s faced quite a few obstacles in his life. Luckily both he and Denise Richards have managed to put their differences aside to focus on their family. With that being said, there was a time in which Denise did help Charlie out by taking care of his two toddler sons, Bob and Max when no one else was around. That’s right: Not only is Denise Richards strikingly beautiful, but she’s also got a heart of gold. There aren’t many people out there that would bring in the children of their ex-spouse and his latest wife into their home.

17 Her Decision To Adopt

Denise Richards has two daughters, Lola and Sam, with her ex-husband Charlie Sheen, but she always felt that she wanted to adopt another child into her family. For Denise, it was an easy decision to make, especially when she first met her third daughter, Eloise. “To me, it feels like I always had Eloise — there’s no difference between an adopted child or biological child, or Eloise and my older daughters,” Denise explained to The Local Moms Market. “I’ve always believed that we choose our parents and she just chose me another way. She’s my daughter and she’s a part of me.”

16 Her Daughter Eloise’s Special Needs

Denise’s adopted daughter Eloise has special needs. A chromosomal disorder had caused a few developmental delays for Eloise. Denise explained to People Magazine, “She wasn’t able to sit up on her own for a very long time, and she didn’t start walking until she was 2, and that was with physical therapy. She can only say a handful of words. And there are times when she feels like her age in understanding, and then other times where it feels she’s emotionally 3 years old. It’s been challenging. I’m learning every day because they don’t really have a road map for her particular case.”

15 Dealing With All Of The Headlines

Denise has had her fair share of media headlines that have been both positive and not so positive. But Denise doesn’t let it get the best of her. That’s also the reason why she’s still smiling to this day. Denise knows that she lives a very blessed life. She’s got her family, her children, her father, and most importantly, the love of her life, Aaron Phypers, by her side. The couple tied the knot back in 2018. What’s more, she’s also enjoying a television comeback of sorts, on both reality and daytime television. You could say that Denise is back, but quite frankly, she never really left.

14 Keeping A Positive Attitude

What makes Denise Richards stand out from the rest of the crowd is the fact that she is a very positive person. She always sees the good in people and does what’s right, even if it feels wrong. One of the trickiest parts in Denise’s life was learning how to co-parent with Charlie Sheen during a very tumultuous time in his life. “Parents have to come together, even if they don’t want to be in the same room, for their kids,” she explained to Closer Weekly. “Suck it up — because they didn’t ask to be born into a family that splits and shouldn’t have to deal with parents at each other’s throats. I’m not one where you bash your ex in front of your children. It’s very disrespectful to the kids.”

13 Her Tough Times As A Mom

Denise has had a very high-profile marriage with her ex, Charlie Sheen. At one point in their relationship, they made headlines on almost a daily basis. Speaking about her ups and downs with Charlie, Denise told Women on the Fence, “I maintained my sanity by knowing what’s important, and what was important was taking care of my two babies. I knew over time it would pass. It didn’t pass as quickly as I would have liked (laughing), but I knew I had to stay focused on really blocking a lot of that stuff out and being the best mom I could be.”

12 Her Parenting Philosophy

When it comes to her parenting philosophy, Denise likes to keep things simple. She admits that she treats each one of her daughters as individuals. While there are difficulties and challenges that she is forced to face on a daily basis, she takes them head on, knowing that it’s her job to be there for her girls. “Every child is different,” she says. “You can take care of your children no matter what is going on with them. I don’t know if [Eloise] is ever going to talk like a typical child. But as a parent, you want what’s best for your children, and you just do it.”

11 Giving Love A Second Chance

Denise has made it no secret that she was put through the wringer, so to speak, with her ex-husband Charlie Sheen. Her decision to pull the plug on their marriage wasn’t an easy one, considering the fact that she was pregnant with their second child at the time. But despite everything that she’s been through, the Hollywood actress was willing to give love a second chance. She’s now married to the love of her life, Aaron Phypers. Denise once said (via AZ Quotes): “Loving a person is loving everything but the person. Being in love with that person is loving everything and that person.”

10 Her Relationship With Charlie Sheen Now

Luckily for everyone involved, things are as smooth as they can be between Denise Richards and her ex-husband Charlie Sheen. They get along now better than ever before. “No matter what was going on with Charlie over the years, I wanted to maintain peace, and I didn’t want the girls to be privy to any discord — that meant never fighting in front of them or talking negatively in front of them about their father,” the Starship Troopers star admitted to Closer Weekly. “Even during challenging times, I never wanted them to feel in the middle or think badly about their dad.”

9 Her Views On Social Media

While a lot of people like to keep their children out of the spotlight and off of social media, Denise Richards is not one of them. She doesn’t mind sharing behind-the-scenes photos of her three beautiful daughters on her social media accounts. After all, Denise has a lot to be proud of, seeing how her daughters are beautiful and smart with very bright futures ahead of them. Plus, this also keeps the paparazzi at bay. Denise Richards knows that she can protect and control her privacy by sharing what she wants at certain times. And that’s exactly what she does.

8 Why She Joined Reality Television

Denise told The Chicago Tribune, “I've been a fan of the show for a long time, and I’m very close to (cast member) Lisa Rinna and she had fun on the show, and I thought it would be fun to be a part of it. Honestly, the women have been so welcoming of me, and I right away really liked all of them. I had such a great time, and I think they're beautiful, strong women, and no matter what goes on, any sort of discord between any of them at any time, they’re still there for each other to support one another, and I love that about them. And so right away, I felt very comfortable and immediately liked them.”

7 Raising Teen Girls In The Spotlight

Raising teen girls is no walk in the park, and raising them in the spotlight is definitely an uphill battle. But Denise Richards takes it all in stride. Luckily, she’s got two daughters who for the most part have kept out of trouble. “I’m trying to find the balance. Our oldest daughter is a freshman in high school, so [I’m] giving her freedom and keeping consequences in place and keeping her accountable, but also picking my battles,” she shared to Closer Weekly. “It’s so difficult to be their parent, not their friend, right now. Later I can be their friend.”

6 Her Modeling Work

A lot of people out there would agree that Denise Richards is by far one of the most beautiful women in the entertainment industry. Before she made her debut in Hollywood, she dabbled a little in modeling. And just by looking at some of her old photos, there’s no denying that she did have that “certain” look that big scouts look for in the modeling room. Simply put, the camera loves her. Denise Richards has managed to stay on top of her game throughout the years because she knows how to not only work a room but also a camera very well.

5 Her Daytime Television Future

In addition to her work on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Denise Richards is about to make her debut on daytime television, too. That’s right, she’s pulling in double duty! The beautiful brunette will be playing a character by the name of Shauna Fulton on the hit CBS soap The Bold and the Beautiful. Honestly, we are quite surprised that it’s taken Denise this long to get on a daytime television show. She looks like she was just born to play a role that’s bold, beautiful, young, and even restless. As long as she doesn’t end up in a General Hospital at the end of the day, it’s all good, right?

4 Reinventing Herself In Hollywood

A lot of people would agree that in the last few years Denise has done a phenomenal job of reinventing herself in Hollywood. Denise told the Chicago Tribune, “I'm working a lot as an actress. [Cameras] follow me on location. They see me with my children. They see me navigate juggling teenagers [whom she shares with Sheen], and my youngest daughter also has special needs. They’ll see an ex-boyfriend of mine, whom I’m very close to. He’s a big part of my life. He’s on the show a bit. It’s everyday slice-of-life and me also integrating with the other women.”

3 She Will Never Stop Working Or Providing For Her Family

Considering the fact that she was a solo mom for a very long time, Denise Richards was her family’s one and only breadwinner. That’s why she’s vowed to never stop working or providing for her family. She needs to be there for them, through the good times and the bad. Denise told Women on the Fence, “To this day, I love being on set with filmmakers, the actors, the crew. I love working. It has always been my passion that has kept me motivated through rejection. When you have a passion for something, you MUST keep at it. It sounds very simple, but I know it to be true.”

2 Her Motherhood ‘Mantra’

For Denise, it’s all about breathing in and breathing out every day. That’s her motherhood mantra. She knows that she’s made it this far in life and that she could certainly make it even farther. She’s had plenty of roles in her life, but the most important one so far has been her role as a mother. Now, we don’t know what Denise’s parenting secret is, but whatever she is doing seems to be working. She’s got three daughters who are great girls and role models. She’s not interested in drama and stays away from negativity. Denise is living her best life, and it shows.

1 What’s Next For Denise Richards

While no one knows what’s next for Denise Richards, one thing is for certain: She’s not going anywhere, anytime soon. Denise is a Hollywood actress who has earned her star. Plus, she’s got so many projects to look forward to in the future. She loves being on the cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and is about to make her debut on The Bold and the Beautiful. Denise has said (via Brainy Quotes): “The secret to balance for me, is about living and being in the moment. Otherwise, you’re simply never enjoying life – when you’re with your kids, you’re worried about work, and so on.”

Sources: People magazine, Women on the Fence, Brainy Quotes, AZ Quotes, Closer Weekly