25 Nov 2023, 00:00

Supporting Sami. Denise Richards doesn’t think her teenage daughter should be judged for joining the subscription service OnlyFans.

“My parents were always supportive of my career and they didn’t judge me for decisions I made when I was working and starting out as an actress,” the former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, 51, exclusively told Us Weekly on Wednesday, July 6, while promoting her film Love Accidentally. “I think it’s important — no matter what my daughters do — to support them, no matter what. I want them to feel empowered and [to be] empowering them … and that’s something that I think is really important and something that I will always support.”

Richards shares Sami, 18, and Lola, 17, with ex-husband Charlie Sheen and is also the mother of daughter Eloise, 11, whom she adopted in 2011. Last month, the actress’ eldest daughter raised eyebrows after she revealed she would be posting on OnlyFans, a platform that frequently features NSFW material. Richards joined the site soon after — and she doesn’t think those who are criticizing Sami’s account fully understand what OnlyFans is about.

“I joined OnlyFans because one, I was not educated in what OnlyFans was at the time,” the Wild Things star told Us. “My daughter got a lot of backlash when she signed up, which I thought was unfair. I really looked into seeing what OnlyFans is, and I think that it’s a brilliant platform, quite frankly. I think it really empowers the creator to control their content and to own the content, and also communicate with fans in a more dynamic way. And I thought, ‘Why not?’ … Once I learned more about it, it was definitely something that I wanted to be a part of.”

When Sami’s account first made headlines, her 56-year-old father told Us in a statement that he didn’t “condone” the decision. “She is 18 years old now and living with her mother. … Since I’m unable to prevent it, I urged her to keep it classy, creative and not sacrifice her integrity,” Sheen noted in his June statement.

At the time, Richards defended her teen, telling Us, “Sami is 18, and this decision wasn’t based on whose house she lives in. All I can do as a parent is guide her and trust her judgment, but she makes her own choices.”

Despite his initial hesitation, the Two and a Half Men alum told Us he changed his tune after his ex-wife brought up “a variety of salient points” about Sami’s independence. “Now more than ever, it’s essential that Sami have a united parental front to rely upon, as she embarks on this new adventure. From this moment forward, she’ll have it abundantly,” he said in June.

The mother-daughter duo reunited earlier this year after Sami claimed in September 2021 that she felt “trapped” in Richards’ home. Sheen, who was married to the Bold and the Beautiful alum from 2002 to 2006, confirmed one month later that Sami had moved in with him and was no longer in school.

“Obviously, I would love for her to live with me,” Richards said on the “Jeff Lewis Has Issues” podcast in February. “She lived with me all these years, but I think it’s very difficult raising teenagers these days, especially in Los Angeles.”

Following their family drama, Sami and the Bravo personality spent Mother’s Day together. “Denise and Sami reconnected within the last month,” a source exclusively told Us in May. “They are getting along very well.”

Now, Richards and her daughter even have an OnlyFans collaboration in the works. “We’re gonna do a really cool shoot together,” the Starship Troopers actress teased to Us on Tuesday. “It’s gonna be something that’s gonna be really editorial and beautiful. I’m excited. … I’ve shot with both my daughters for different magazines and it’s been a long time, so it’s gonna be fun to be able to do a shoot with her now that she’s a little bit older.”

Apart from her endeavors on the social media site, Richards is also making a return to the silver screen in Amazon Freevee’s first original film, Love Accidentally, alongside Brenda Song and Aaron O’Connell. “It’s uplifting, it’s positive,” the model gushed of the romantic comedy. “And it was a lot of fun to shoot. We had a good time.”

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Love Accidentally premieres on Amazon Freevee July 15.

With reporting by Christina Garibaldi

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