Denise Richards

Move over, Michael Vick. According to Charlie Sheen, there's a new dog killer in town.

Soon after his meltdown at The Plaza Hotel in October, TMZ reports that Sheen handed over custody of two pugs to ex-wife Denise Richards, who claims she had been receiving calls alerting her to their neglected state.

Well... one of the canines recently died from malnutrition, which sparked the following Tweet from Sheen over the weekend:

Richards, who friends say is doing great, refuses to give up the living dog because she says Charlie mistreated it in the first place. Why does he even want it now?

For his tour bus, of course. All deranged actors need a mascot, don't they?

She's been forced to explain Charlie Sheen's actions to their daughters, and she's been faced with a few threats from her ex-husband, but don't worry about Denise Richards.

"She's doing great," Alison Sweeney told Us Weekly last week. "She's awesome and she has her head on straight. She's got a wonderful heart."

Who is actually winning the PR battle, due to Charlie Sheen's shenanigans? Ex-wife Denise Richards.

According to the latest issue of this tabloid, Sheen recently threatened harm against Richards after she attempted to put distance between him and his children, Sam, 7, and Lola, 5.

But such antics have not deterred Richards from her grander goals, says The Biggest Loser host:

"Denise rescues animals and fosters them. Denise is such a ray of sunshine and she just manages to live her life and hold her head high. I'm so impressed by her."

Denise Richards is apparently smarter than she often sounds.

The ex-wife of Charlie Sheen has allegedly barred the off-the-rails actor from seeing the former couple's daughters, Sam and Lola. Why? Because she's "disgusted" by his recent actions/comments, a source tells TMZ. And she simply doesn't trust him.

Richards has specific reasons to feel this way, beyond the mere words coming out of Sheen's mouth.

According to the restraining order filed this week by Brooke Mueller, Sheen told those around him that he "hated" Denise and wanted "her haired shaved off." Insiders say this rant came about after Richards refused to pose for a photo with Sheen, their daughters, Brooke, her sons ... and Sheen's "goddesses," Rachel Oberlin and Natlie Kenly.

Perhaps we were too quick to judge Richards and her reality show a couple years ago. It really is complicated for this actress.

Charlie Sheen is hilarious. The guy has absolutely no remorse over any actions, joking in interviews this week about how much we should all praise him for doing such a stellar job while hungover.

But then we're forced to remember: the guy does have two young children. What must they think of their dad?

Denise Richards addressed this question during an appearance on The View that will air today. She said of her ex-husband:

"There are times where his life is more colorful than others, more public than others, and as the kids get older it's a difficult thing... this was a subject I had hoped to talk with my children about as they got older. But it's hard."

Hey, that's what Kacey Jordan said!

Denise Richards on The View

But, seriously, how does Richards explain Sheen's problems to Sam, 6, and Lola, 5? She says she uses books.

"There are images and pictures that a child can understand. I don't know what they fully comprehend from these conversations. They don't know what some of these things are. So I do the best I can and it's not easy."

Darn you, Charlie Sheen! You've actually made us feel sorry for Denise Richards.

It's not easy being the mother two children whose father makes news every other week for going on porn-star themed benders.

But such is the life of Denise Richards, who spoke to Access Hollywood yesterday about Charlie Sheen and his recent antics.

"I think a lot of people are concerned about Charlie... what becomes difficult is things become so public. I try my best to keep that quiet from our daughters because, you know, this is something I've never dealt with in my life until this situation."

Sheen and Richards have two daughters together.

The bad actress says her "main priority" is to keep their father's scandalous behavior away from the kids, but that was made difficult in October when the actor flipped out on Capri Anderson - inside a hotel room that was across the hall from his children.

"When we went to New York, that was our intention: to have a nice time with the girls," Denise said. "I thought it was great that we could all travel together and go out to dinner and do things even though we're not together anymore.

The events that took place after that, you know, it was... difficult."

Brace yourself, THG readers. An iconic Hollywood couple has broken up.

Following a month of dating, Denise Richards and Nikki Sixx have called it a relationship, with a source close to Charlie Sheen's ex saying the fling was never serious.

"They were never exclusive or serious to begin with!" says an insider. "I could count on my hand how many times they went out. They decided to try it and she was not intereste. That's dating! This isn't some big, dramatic split."

Hey, speak for yourself, anonymous source. We thought these two would be the next Brangelina.

Nikki Sixx has the easiest job in Hollywood: be a better mate to Denise Richards than Charlie Sheen was during his marriage to this Z-list actress.

The Motley Crue bassist has been neighbors with Richards for years, Us Weekly reports, with the relationship recently taking a turn to the romantic.

"They have a lot in common and are taking things slowly," a source tells the magazine, adding that the pair was spotted at Marmalade Cafe in Calabasas on Sunday morning.

Sixx is a former heroin addict who has been married to two Playboy models and dated Kat Von D for almost two years.

Even in divorce, Denise Richards can't get away from the mayhem Charlie Sheen leaves in his drunken wake.

Because the actor's ex-wife was actually present at dinner on the night Sheen allegedly went ballistic and eventually threatened the life of Capri Anderson - the porn star has said Richards left when she saw the evening turning into a night of "floozies" - police have contacted the actress.

Richards was also sleeping in the Plaza Hotel room across from her ex when cops arrived on the scene. She reportedly entered at some point and could have spotted evidence to be used in an investigation.

Meanwhile, a police spokesman spoke to E! News and gave some background on just what the NYPD is looking into, based on charges Anderson has brought against her one-time date.

We never thought we'd say this, but: way to go, Denise Richards!

The ex-wife of Charlie Sheen accompanied that mess of an actor to the hospital yesterday morning, soon after police found him passed out and allegedly high on cocaine. The former couple had spent the weekend together with their daughters, seeing NYC sights and getting along better than ever.

But in an interview with Joy Behar last night, Richards took the high road, refusing to gossip about the father of her children.

"I'd rather leave that for Charlie to discuss, if that's something he wants to do, because that's something very personal and private," she said. "The thing is that my daughters are 5 and 6, and they're at an age where they can start to understand. They have no idea what went on, and our stuff happened when they were much younger, which I'm so grateful for."

Hang in there, troubled women of the world. There's hope for you yet: Denise Richards is writing a memoir!

"I wanted to write a heartfelt, honest book that would be a source of hope for others going through difficult times," Richards told People of her deal to pen an autobiography.

There's little doubt the tome will largely focus on Richards' marriage to Charlie Sheen, from whom she filed for divorce while pregnant with the couple's second child.

That is all she's known for, after all. Well... that and making out with Neve Campbell in Wild Things, and also parading her children around on the reprehensible reality show Denise Richards: It's Complicated. Look for this memoir to hit bookstores in July 2011. Will you purchase it?