LOS ANGELES — Aaron Phypers has taken the stand in his court battle with estranged wife Denise Richards and is staunchly denying her abuse allegations.

The 53-year-old businessman, who on July 7 filed for divorce from Richards after six years of marriage, has been accused of repeated domestic violence as the 54-year-old "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" alumna seeks to have her temporary restraining order against Phypers extended.

"Aaron has hit me so much during our marriage … it became normal for our arguments," Richards, who was dressed in an aquamarine tweed skirt and jacket and sporting a sleek coiffed updo, testified in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Wednesday, Oct. 8.

During the hearing, the actress and reality TV personality concluded cross-examination before Phypers took the stand to give his own testimony.

"I was scared of them asking me how I got (the black eye), and I didn't want to get Aaron in trouble," she told her attorney when questioned during redirect about why she didn't seek medical care after the alleged 2022 incident. "I was trying to protect him. … I hid it from my daughters; I wore sunglasses."

Photos of her black eye, which were previously entered into evidence, show a massive purple, bordering on black, bruise that extends from her eyelid to the top of her left cheekbone.

Aaron Phypers denies abusing Denise Richards

In court filings and in her court testimony, Richards has alleged that Phypers gave her a black eye, caused her three concussions, threatened to "disappear" her, stole her laptop and was verbally abusive toward her. Under questioning by his attorney, Phypers denied all of the claims.

While Phypers was on the stand, he told his lawyer, "I don't abuse my wife, no."

Testifying under oath, Phypers claimed Richards' black eye was a self-inflicted injury she'd suffered while she was under the influence of tequila.

Amid the testimony, Phypers' legal counsel made a motion to "dissolve" Richards' temporary restraining order against his client — a move that was quickly denied by Judge Mark A. Juhas.

Earlier in the day, Richards' counsel opened the door for the actress to take the stand again if Phypers shares "totally new information" during his testimony. Other witnesses Phypers' attorney named in a list submitted to the judge in September include Richards' ex-husband, Charlie Sheen, and former "Housewives" costar Brandi Glanville.

Sheen and Glanville would testify about Richards' "history of not being truthful" and her alleged "drug and alcohol abuse," according to Phypers' lawyer Michael Finley's Sept. 29 filing.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support to survivors and their loved ones in English and Spanish at: 800-656-HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Español RAINN.org/es.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Denise Richards' ex Aaron Phypers denies abusing her while testifying in court

Reporting by KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect