Denise Richards is in the headlines following the death of her longtime friend and former partner, Patrick Muldoon. The Days of Our Lives actor suffered a heart attack at his Beverly Hills home on April 19, 2026, as reported by Deadline. He was fifty-seven.
Muldoon and Richards go way back. The two first met on the Starship Troopers set in 1997, dated for three years, and stayed close well after their 2000 split. As per a report shared by the Daily Mail, things did go quiet between them during Richards’s marriage to Charlie Sheen. The Wild Things actress shares daughters Sami and Lola with Charlie Sheen.
On a 2019 episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Richards reflected on just how long they had known each other:
“I’ve known Patrick Muldoon since I was 19 years old. We call each other ‘schweet babe’ because we had nicknames on Starship Troopers for everyone.”
Now Richards’s daughter, Lola, who is twenty years old, posted a tribute on Instagram, sharing a paparazzi photo of her mom and Muldoon in a car. She closed the post with something personal:
“I always begged my mom. I’m sure she told you that you guys would end up back together haha, but I guess staying best friends was better anyways ♥️ You really were a rockstar pat, and forever will be. Have fun up there. I know you will. Love you.“
Lola Sheen credits Muldoon for being the one who made Denise Richards laugh through it all:
Lola opened her tribute by going straight to what Muldoon meant to her growing up.
“I thought you were the one that was supposed to be in our lives forever. When I think of my childhood, I think of you Pat, and it’s gonna be so weird to go on without you in our lives. You were such a huge part of our family and life will never feel the same, but that’s just because of how much you impacted us. Thank you for showing everyone around you how to be alive.”
She then reached back to a specific memory from a trip they took together with Denise Richards:
“You were the definition of what it means to have fun. I’ll never forget when we were on that trip with my mom, and you wouldn’t stop singing that Lola song to me, and made me laugh so hard. And you know that song will always make me think of you, I will really miss hearing my mom laugh on the phone with you.”
Lola closed by speaking directly to what Muldoon meant to Denise Richards:
“Your voice always brightened my day and I’m gonna miss hearing it, but I know my mom will more, but we will never stop talking about you. Thank you for being the best friend to her. Thank you for being the one to make her laugh and forget about all she’s going through. That was a gift you had.”
“The bond you two had was something so special that no one can touch. When I think of my mom, I think of you. You guys came as a package, and I’m so thankful I got to know you and witness a friendship so pure and special in front of my eyes,” she added.
Patrick Muldoon opened up about staying close with Denise Richards and her daughters before his death:
Richards had not always been able to keep Muldoon close. On a March 2025 episode of Denise Richards & Her Wild Things, she reflected on the years she lost touch with him. She said:
“I did not speak to Pat when I was married to Charlie. And it was hard, because I didn’t want to lose him as a friend. But toward the end of the marriage, I talked to him all the time about him.”
The two reconnected after her split from Sheen in 2006. As per a report shared by the Daily Mail and Page Six, the friendship held steady even through Richards’s seven-year marriage to estranged husband Aaron Phypers. News of Muldoon’s passing has hit Denise Richards hard. A source close to the actress says she is not coping well. As reported by Page Six, the source said:
“She’s devastated. Really, really sad. I’d even call her inconsolable. She can’t stop crying.”
That same source spoke about the specific kind of relationship Denise Richards and Muldoon had.
“Patrick is the ex that she had the best relationship with. There was a ton of respect on both sides. It was so amicable that they were better friends than lovers and they remained in constant contact. She was his biggest supporter, he was hers.”
Just months before his death, Muldoon sat down with Tori Spelling on her MisSPELLING podcast in October 2025 and explained what kept him and Richards so tightly connected.
“We both don’t come from entertainment families, and our families got to know each other over the years and kind of checked in with each other on navigating the crazy stuff that we all go through.”
On his relationship with Denise Richards’ daughters, Muldoon was straightforward.
“I have a good relationship with both Lola and Sami. I’ve known them since they were first born, and so I have a good relationship with both.”
Edited by Priscillah Mueni