Denise Richards Talks Co-Parenting with Ex-Husband Charlie Sheen, Opens Up About Daughter's Special Needs

Denise Richards says she doesn't view her public split from Charlie Sheen as a "failure" and supports their children having a relationship with him, despite his past.

In an interview with People, published Wednesday, the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star spoke about co-parenting with her ex-husband and the challenges she has experienced raising her adopted daughter, Eloise, 7, who has special needs. The actress shares daughters Lola, 13, and Sam, 14 with Sheen -- whom she was married to from 2002 to 2006. The couple split when Richards was six months pregnant with Lola.

"I was never bitter about my divorce," Richards said. "Going through everything, it changed me. But I love life and I'm a glass-half-full kind of person. And I did my best to rise above it."

"No matter what happens, Charlie can call me at any point," she later added. "I don't see our relationship as a failure. It's a journey. It went a different way than we anticipated, but that's okay. And I will always be a good friend to him."

Despite this, Richards, 47 admitted that it was "extremely disheartening" to have been involved during the difficult time in Sheen's life. (Remember those "tiger blood" rants?) "Times were extremely negative and I would have to tell myself, this too shall pass," she said.

While Richards gushed over the "amazing relationship" she has with her husband Aaron Phypers, whom she met in 2017 and married last September, she said she's "supportive" of her daughters staying connected with Sheen, who has been sober for over a year.

"Whatever is going on with a couple, the children should not be privy to it," Richards explained. "Obviously, there are times when emotions might flare up. But we're human beings and we make mistakes."

"I know that when someone is struggling with addiction, sometimes choices are made that are not in the best judgment," she continued. "I have empathy for that. I want Charlie to be the best person and father he can be."

When it comes to raising her kids, Richards said that she's "proud" of being a mother during a time that is "very different" to how she was raised."It's extremely hard to keep children grounded," she told People. "This is not an easy time to grow up."

She also talked about her 7-year-old daughter Eloise, whom Richards adopted as a single mom in 2011, and revealed she suffers from a chromosomal disorder that "has caused a lot of developmental delays for her."

"She wasn't able to sit up on her own for a very long time," Richards said. "She didn't start walking until she was 2, and that was with physical therapy."

"She can only say a handful of words," she continued. "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."

Eloise was diagnosed with the condition -- a deletion in chromosome 8 -- two and half years ago.

"Every child is different," Richards said. "You 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."

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