RHOBH Season 10 Finale: What Happened Between Denise Richards and Heather Locklear?
RHOBH Season 10 Finale: What Happened Between Denise Richards and Heather Locklear?
Denise Richards and Heather Locklear have a famous ex in common: Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora
Andy Cohen asked a question during the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season 10 reunion that fans now want answered: What happened between Denise Richards and Heather Locklear?
During the third and final part of the Bravo reality series' reunion on Wednesday evening, Lisa Rinna and Denise's fractured 20-year friendship was once again discussed. Throughout the 10th season, Lisa and Denise had their fair share of ups and downs — with Lisa apologizing to Denise about not telling her in advance about Brandi Glanville's affair claim (which Denise has denied) before confronting her about inconsistencies and lies.
But Lisa and Denise's friendship wasn't the only one that came up during the reunion. After explaining where she presently stands with Denise, Lisa unearthed a dramatic time in the Wild Thing star's past: her estranged friendship with Heather.
"Rinna, if you had to do it over again, would you have given Denise a head’s up about Brandi’s accusation?" Andy, 52, asked Lisa.
"You know! I would’ve not had Denise come on the show if I were to do it over again," admitted Lisa, 57. "How about that?"
RELATED: RHOBH Season 10: Why Everyone Is Mad at Denise Richards, Explained
Stefanie Keenan/WireImage Lisa Rinna and Denise Richards
In the final episode of season 10, Lisa and Denise, 49, had "kind of a tense conversation and then you agreed that you know, maybe you could try to work on it a little bit," Andy explained to Lisa, before asking: "Did the stress of the show airing and social media come in between that?"
At that, Lisa revealed that she and Denise had not spoken in half a year — and also hinted at Denise's drama with the Melrose Place actress.
Denise Richards and Heather Locklear
"All I know is we haven’t spoken or texted in about six months. You know, I go back to when she was friends with Heather Locklear," Lisa said.
Denise replied: "I actually wasn’t, Lisa, and you know that. To bring that up, I mean, really? She was friends with my ex-husband. C’mon."
"Well, you calling me a bad friend, I guess it’s like …" Lisa replied.
Denise accused Lisa of "grasping at straws."
"Maybe. Maybe," Lisa replied.
Confused, Andy asked, "I don’t understand the Heather Locklear reference."
"Well, she’s insinuating that I’m such a bad friend and I think that —" said Lisa.
But Denise cut in: "I’m not insinuating you’re a bad friend, Lisa."
"You are," said Lisa, to which Denise asserted, "I am not."
Still puzzled about Denise's history with Heather, Andy pressed: "Can you clue me in about the Heather Locklear thing? I’m sorry to keep bringing it up, but I’m kind of interested."
RELATED: Denise Richards Leaving RHOBH to 'Enjoy Her Family More,' Source Says
After taking a pause, Lisa said, "You know! I mean ..."
But Andy didn't, admitting, "I don’t."
"Lisa! That is low," Denise said.
Choosing not to say anything further, Lisa told Andy, "Just Google it. Just Google it. Google it."
Denise Richards and Heather Locklear's History, Explained
Although the drama between former friends Denise and Heather, 58, wasn't explained on the RHOBH reunion, it made headlines 14 years ago.
In 2006, Heather filed for divorce from rocker Richie Sambora following 11 years of marriage. (PEOPLE confirmed in April 2007 that it had been finalized.) They share one child together: daughter Ava Sambora, 22.
Heather Locklear and Richie Sambora
Shortly after Heather and Richie's breakup, the Bon Jovi guitarist began dating Denise, who was going through her own divorce at the time with ex-husband Charlie Sheen.(Denise and Charlie are parents to daughters Sami, 16, and Lola, 15. She is also mom to 9-year-old Eloise, whom she is raising with husband Aaron Phypers.)
The two couples had been friendly because Charlie and Heather co-starred in the sitcom Spin City, which aired from 1996-2002.
While both navigating public splits together, Denise has said that she and Richie, 61, bonded while both facing the dual hardships of public splits in Hollywood and caring for a parent battling cancer. “My mother has cancer and Richie’s father has cancer,” Denise told PEOPLE in 2007. “It’s hard. Thank God Richie and I have each other not only to go through divorce, but to go through both our parents being ill.”
Though there was speculation that Denise had broken up Heather and Richie's marriage, she denied coming between them.
RELATED: Heather Locklear's Daughter Wears Her Bon Jovi Shirt from 20 Years Ago: 'I Got It from My Mama'
Speaking out for the first time about her past relationship with Richie, Denise told Entertainment Tonight in June 2006, “The thing with Heather, that’s been hard,” she said. “You can’t help who you fall for and that friendship, unfortunately, was done and wasn’t salvageable.”
In the interview, she insisted that her relationship with Richie, which began shortly after Heather filed for divorce, was “the last thing I was looking for,” adding, “it’s true when they say things happen when you least expect it.”
In terms of her relationship with Heather, Denise said they were never “best friends” as had been reported. “People have gone on – ‘Would you date your best friend(‘s husband)?’ ” she said. “You know, she wasn’t my best friend. She was a close friend in the last couple of years. I hadn’t known her my whole life (like) people (are) portraying this.”
Still, Richards admitted, “(It’s) been tough having people think that I’m such a crappy friend.”
Denise also insisted that Richie and Heather’s marriage was over before she got together with the musician. “We didn’t meddle in marriages and anything like that.”
She further reportedly told Us Weekly in an interview: "We (her and Sambora) were friends and we were both going through divorces, and that's what drew us to each other ... I did not steal someone's husband. Did I date a former friend's ex-husband? Yes. Did I break up a marriage? No."
"If I was still friends with (Locklear), that never would have happened with Richie," Denise said. "There was no friendship anymore prior to Richie and I getting together."
By early 2007, the pair had parted ways. Although they were no longer a couple, Denise attended the funeral for Richie's father, who died of lung cancer on April 21, 2007, in New Jersey.
Denise Richards and Richie Sambora
“Denise ended things but wanted to be there for him as a friend,” a source close to Denise told PEOPLE back then. A Richie source called the split “amicable.”
“They did break up about a month prior to Richie’s dad’s death,” the source said. “She came to the funeral to support him. He needs to focus on his daughter Ava and wishes Denise and her kids all the best.”
RELATED: RHOBH Reunion: Lisa Rinna Reveals Alleged Texts Between Denise Richards and Brandi Glanville
Calling into Ryan Seacrest‘s KIIS-FM show in 2008, Denise opened up about her relationship with Richie, saying she “followed my heart,” but insisting that nothing happened until he was single. “I did not interfere with their marriage,” she said.
"I was no longer friends with Heather months before Richie and I got together. I don't want to say what caused the split, but she and I weren't even speaking then," she told Redbook in 2008.
They reportedly rekindled their relationship in late 2011 but split months later.
Heather Locklear Supports Brandi Glanville amid Denise Richards Drama
Brandi, 47, shaded her foe Denise on a recent episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.
Brandi — who was excluded from the RHOBH reunion — name-dropped Heather after Andy asked whether any non-Bravo stars had reached out to support her after she claimed to have had an affair with Denise.
Reps for Denise and Heather did not respond to PEOPLE's requests for comment at the time.
"Heather just reached out to me and said 'thank you' with a bunch of hearts and prayer [emojis]," Brandi claimed. "It just made me feel like I was probably bringing this side of Denise out for everyone to see, and I wrote back, 'Of course, the truth always comes out,' and she wrote a bunch more hearts. And then I said, 'Hey, you should be on Watch What Happens Live with me,' and she said, 'I've already had a cease and desist from Denise, so I'm not going to do it.' "
It is unclear what alleged cease and desist Brandi says Heather was referring to. But on Wednesday's reunion, Denise confirmed that she'd filed a cease and desist against Brandi "to make her tell the truth to all of you."
Last week, a rep for the actress confirmed to PEOPLE that Denise had departed RHOBH after two seasons. According to Andy, "we couldn't reach an agreement for next season."
