Denise Richards on Her 'Spur of the Moment' Return to 'RHOBH' Filming: 'It's Been Actually Fun'

Two and a half years after Richards exited The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in September 2020 after two seasons, she's sharing how she got back in front of Bravo cameras

It remains to be seen whether Denise Richards will be holding a diamond in the future, but for now she's happy to step back in front of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' cameras.

The actress, 52, recently confirmed to Variety that she's "filmed some episodes" of RHOBH. Richards' surprise return comes two years after her exit was announced in September 2020.

"It's been fun. And you know, I'm a big fan of the show, so it was fun to go back and film a lot of stuff with them," she shared.

Related:Denise Richards Says She's Open to Returning to RHOBH — Even If Lisa Rinna Stays

According to Richards, her return wasn't planned. Even Bravo's production team was unaware she was attending a screening hosted by current cast member Garcelle Beauvais.

"This all just happened recently on the spur of the moment," Richards explained. "I was at her screening as a friend — like a real friend — I didn't tell anyone I was gonna be there. Production didn't know. I just showed up, like, for real life, as a real friend in real life."

However, according to Richards, "The next day, I was asked to go to some events — and so it's been actually fun."

Richards joined RHOBH in season 9 airing in 2019 after left after two seasons. At the time her exit was confirmed, Bravo producer and host Andy Cohen said on PeopleTV's Reality Check that Bravo was "negotiating a deal with her and we couldn't reach an agreement on the deal."

Later addressing her reasoning for leaving ahead of season 11, Richards said she "went back and forth" before reaching a final decision.

"I've been a fan of the show and had a lot of fun doing my first season. Obviously, my second season was very challenging," she previously shared on The Real. "I went back and forth with it and at the end of the day, I decided it was time for me to move on and focus on other projects that I have. I'm glad that I did it though."

Related:Garcelle Beauvais Gives Update on Filming of RHOBH as Season 13 Is Underway: 'Expect Drama'

Season 13 of RHOBH began production in January. Kyle Richards, Dorit Kemsley, Erika Girardi, Sutton Stracke and Crystal Kung Minkoff are also returning alongside Beauvais.

Before filming commenced, longtime cast member Lisa Rinna's exit from the show was announced in early January after eight seasons. Newcomer Diana Jenkins' departure was confirmed days later.

In her interview with Variety, Richards described her involvement in season 13 as undefined. But what is certain is the Wild Things star is not worried about getting entangled in cast drama again. (Her second and final season saw her butting heads with Rinna, 59, and series alum Brandi Glanville.)

"I feel like I didn't get sucked into it," she said. "I truly was myself on the show. And I think some of the women are different on camera and off camera. And I think you know what? Don't self-produce. Just be yourselves. You get a group of six to eight [to] 10 women together, your drama will come up, authentically. Leave it at that and have fun with it."

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Ahead of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills return for season 13, all previous seasons can be streamed on Peacock.

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