Denise Richards Gives Up Custody of Brooke Mueller's Twins, Citing 'Continuing Violence'
Actress Denise Richards has had custody of ex-husband Charlie Sheen's twin boys with Brooke Mueller for several months. Now, though, Richards feels the need to give up custody in order to protect her own children and pets; a letter to the Department of Child and Family Services lays out the boys' allegedly "violent behavior" who have "extreme violent mood swings."
Richards claims that she wants to get the boys psychological help and counseling but has been prevented from doing so since she has no legal authority to do so and Mueller has reportedly not given her consent.
"With a heavy heart I must inform you that I can no longer be Bob and Max's caregiver," Richards wrote to DCFS. "This has been an extremely difficult decision because I have so much love for the boys. I have always cared for them as if they were my own children. Unfortunately, I have seen them get worse with increased contact with their mom and I am unable to obtain for them proper assessments and professional help. I have seen the boys' continuing violence towards animals, their sisters, and adults."
She then goes on to note specific instances of the boys' erratic behavior that seems to put her children in danger.
"Mine and Charlie's daughters have been strangled, kicked in the head and stomach, scratched, bit, slapped, punched in the face and head, and spit on. My daughter Sami had to be taken to the doctor after getting hit in the eye with a toy when Bob came home from a visit with his mom," Richards wrote.
She believes that Mueller's court-ordered visitation is significantly affecting the 4-year-old boys. Photographs of Bob emerged on Tuesday that showed him with injuries that may have been obtained when he was in Mueller's care, or that of her mother. It's unclear, though, if he may have sustained them when in Richards' care, but they were reported to the DCFS.
Things have only gotten worse between Mueller and Sheen as she has been released from rehab and attempts to rejoin her sons'
lives. The two are engaged in a tense custody battle for the boys, but Richards was awarded custody while Mueller was in rehab. Now that she has rescinded custody, it's unknown where the boys may end up.