- Denise Richards says she and her ex-husband, Charlie Sheen, approach parenting very differently.
- "I parent my way. He parents his way, and there was no co-parenting," Richards said.
- Despite that, she always wanted Sheen to have a constant presence in their two daughters' lives.
Denise Richards says that she and her ex, Charlie Sheen, each have their own methods of raising their two daughters.
On Tuesday's episode of the "Whine Down with Jana Kramer" podcast, Richards spoke about the dynamics of her relationship with Sheen.
"Truthfully, it wasn't co-parenting. I parent my way. He parents his way, and there was no co-parenting," the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star told podcast host Jana Kramer.
Richards shares two daughters — Sami and Lola, both grown up now — with Sheen, whom she was married to from 2002 to 2006.
Richards said that while there is "no discord" between her and her ex-husband, they are not exactly close.
"I have kids with him, and I'm not really — I'm friendly with Charlie, but I wish we were friends and that we could talk all the time and be able to be there really for each other with our girls," she said. "But that's just not the relationship we have. Maybe one day."
Despite that, it was always important to her that Sheen maintained a constant presence in her daughters' lives.
"I was always an advocate of wanting everything to be great and be friends and blend the family because he had two boys with his wife after me," Richards said.
"I just didn't want the girls to feel like they had to choose sides. I've always wanted him to be there for all the birthday parties and holidays, and I always invited him and sometimes he would come. And I think it's good for the kids to see that too," she continued.
Richards also said she "never talked bad about him in front of the kids," which was sometimes "hard to do."
She recalled how Sheen didn't give her a heads-up that he was going public with his HIV diagnosis so she could speak to their daughters first. Richards added that she picked her kids up from school earlier that day so they wouldn't learn about the news from their friends.
"I had to have a conversation about that," she said. "And it was kind of hard to explain to them what it was. That was the only time I can remember. There's been a few things that I've had to have conversations with. But for the most part, I really try to shelter them from a lot of stuff."
Richards isn't the only famous figure who has spoken about her experience raising kids with her ex.
"The Hills" actor Kristin Cavallari told Business Insider in 2020 that she takes her emotions out of the situation while co-parenting with her ex-husband, former NFL player Jay Cutler.
Cavallari said that her focus is on their three kids: "And so I'm removing any of my emotions or feelings and just thinking about them and putting them first."
In 2020, Khloé Kardashian said she and her ex, Tristan Thompson, quarantined together during the pandemic in order to spend time with their daughter, True.
Angela Marie Christian, a life coach who advises single moms, previously told BI that she learned three tips from co-parenting with her ex-partners. These include setting aside time to discuss their child's well-being, planning schedules out clearly so the child knows how they'll spend their weekends or holidays, and being respectful to each other.
Representatives for Richards and Sheen did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent by BI outside regular hours.
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