Denise Richards Reveals the Dealbreaker She GaveSpecial ForcesProduction — and How 'They Hid It' from the Cast

Mar. 15, 2025

Denise Richards.Photo:Pete Dadds/FOX

Pete Dadds/FOX

Denise Richardsis revealing her one condition before joiningSpecial Forces: World’s Toughest Test.The actress, 53, joined costarTrista Sutteron the recent episode ofBen HigginsandAshley Iaconetti’sAlmost Famouspodcast, where they discussed their time on the competition show. When she first agreed to go on, Richards said she insisted on having one thing: “A private toilet.”“I got us a toilet,” Richards said, as Sutter explained all the women on the show usually share “porta-potties."“They’re not porta-potties Trista, they’re outhouses!” Richards clairified, saying the toilets “didn’t flush or anything.”“So that is something I brought up when I was asked to do the show,” Richards continued. “I was like, ‘There is no freaking way, otherwise I won’t go to the bathroom for the whole time. I am not going to sit next to someone on television and go potty.’”“So it took them a couple of weeks to get back to us because that was my dealbreaker,” Richards continued. “And I’m sure they’re going to [be mad] I say that because next season someone’s going to be like, ‘Well, Denise Richards got a toilet!’ But they got a toilet and hid it. But I said, ‘I am not gonna have a target on my back where it’s only my toilet, so I don’t want anyone to know.’”Trista Sutter and Denise Richards.Pete Dadds/FOXRichards went on to joke that she “found it right away” but “didn’t want to say anything” that would give its location away. Eventually, however, NFL playerCam Newton, who is 6’5”, found it because he could see over the outhouses.“Cam did tell everybody he saw it,”The Real Housewives of Beverly Hillsalum said.“Honestly, I didn’t even know it was there,” Sutter replied, adding: “Leave it to Denise Richards!”“I didn’t want to say anything and have everybody angry at me,” Richards laughed.Richardspreviously told PEOPLEthat another reason she questioned going onSpecial Forceswas her daughters’ feelings about it. At first, she said they were afraid it was too dangerous.“My daughters were very upset,” Richards admitted in November. “They did not want me to do it. They were afraid I was going to get hurt or get killed, and they were actually really angry. It was the first time of all the times I’ve done different projects or traveled they were very upset with me.”She added: “I thought, ‘This is the most challenging thing I’ll ever do, and why not do it?’ I was terrified, but once I made the commitment to do it, I was there.”Denise Richards.Pete Dadds/FOXFans saw Richards exit the show on its Jan. 8 premiere after herbreast implants rupturedduring a challenge. Although she wanted to stay, she toldEntertainment Weeklythat she had other health complications and was still healing from the repair of four previous hernias.“I wanted to see a doctor, and I wanted to make sure that I was okay to continue with the weight and doing stuff,” she toldEW, pointing out that the participants were carrying heavy packs of supplies at all times. “I wanted to make sure I didn’t damage the hernias. I knew the implants, and that was something I knew I could still continue [with]. I was too embarrassed to even say anything about those. But it was where I had my surgery before with my hernias that I wanted to make sure.“Still, she was glad she stuck through as long as she could.“I am actually very proud of myself,” Richards said. “I had the guts to jump off a bridge… I was so happy. Even though I couldn’t climb in that helicopter, I was very happy. I was able to at least grab on and hang from there. I never in a million years thought I could do that.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Special Forces: World’s Toughest Testairs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.

Denise Richardsis revealing her one condition before joiningSpecial Forces: World’s Toughest Test.

The actress, 53, joined costarTrista Sutteron the recent episode ofBen HigginsandAshley Iaconetti’sAlmost Famouspodcast, where they discussed their time on the competition show. When she first agreed to go on, Richards said she insisted on having one thing: “A private toilet.”

“I got us a toilet,” Richards said, as Sutter explained all the women on the show usually share “porta-potties.”

“They’re not porta-potties Trista, they’re outhouses!” Richards clairified, saying the toilets “didn’t flush or anything.”

“So that is something I brought up when I was asked to do the show,” Richards continued. “I was like, ‘There is no freaking way, otherwise I won’t go to the bathroom for the whole time. I am not going to sit next to someone on television and go potty.’”

“So it took them a couple of weeks to get back to us because that was my dealbreaker,” Richards continued. “And I’m sure they’re going to [be mad] I say that because next season someone’s going to be like, ‘Well, Denise Richards got a toilet!’ But they got a toilet and hid it. But I said, ‘I am not gonna have a target on my back where it’s only my toilet, so I don’t want anyone to know.’”

Trista Sutter and Denise Richards.Pete Dadds/FOX

Richards went on to joke that she “found it right away” but “didn’t want to say anything” that would give its location away. Eventually, however, NFL playerCam Newton, who is 6’5”, found it because he could see over the outhouses.

“Cam did tell everybody he saw it,”The Real Housewives of Beverly Hillsalum said.

“Honestly, I didn’t even know it was there,” Sutter replied, adding: “Leave it to Denise Richards!”

“I didn’t want to say anything and have everybody angry at me,” Richards laughed.

Richardspreviously told PEOPLEthat another reason she questioned going onSpecial Forceswas her daughters’ feelings about it. At first, she said they were afraid it was too dangerous.

“My daughters were very upset,” Richards admitted in November. “They did not want me to do it. They were afraid I was going to get hurt or get killed, and they were actually really angry. It was the first time of all the times I’ve done different projects or traveled they were very upset with me.”

She added: “I thought, ‘This is the most challenging thing I’ll ever do, and why not do it?’ I was terrified, but once I made the commitment to do it, I was there.”

Denise Richards.Pete Dadds/FOX

Fans saw Richards exit the show on its Jan. 8 premiere after herbreast implants rupturedduring a challenge. Although she wanted to stay, she toldEntertainment Weeklythat she had other health complications and was still healing from the repair of four previous hernias.

“I wanted to see a doctor, and I wanted to make sure that I was okay to continue with the weight and doing stuff,” she toldEW, pointing out that the participants were carrying heavy packs of supplies at all times. “I wanted to make sure I didn’t damage the hernias. I knew the implants, and that was something I knew I could still continue [with]. I was too embarrassed to even say anything about those. But it was where I had my surgery before with my hernias that I wanted to make sure.”

Still, she was glad she stuck through as long as she could.

“I am actually very proud of myself,” Richards said. “I had the guts to jump off a bridge… I was so happy. Even though I couldn’t climb in that helicopter, I was very happy. I was able to at least grab on and hang from there. I never in a million years thought I could do that.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Special Forces: World’s Toughest Testairs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.

source: people.com