Denise Richards 'deeply heartbroken and devastated' over ex-boyfriend, “Starship Troopers” costar Patrick Muldoon's death

Joey NolfiTue, April 21, 2026 at 5:22 PM UTC

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Patrick Muldoon, Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards in 'Starship Troopers'Credit: EverettKey Points -

Denise Richards has paid tribute to her late ex-boyfriend and Starship Troopers costar Patrick Muldoon.

Muldoon died Sunday at age 57, with Richards set to reunite with him in the upcoming film Dirty Hands.

"You’ve had my back and protected me more than anyone," Richards said.

Actress and Real Housewives alum Denise Richards has paid tribute to ex-boyfriend and frequent costar Patrick Muldoon, who died Sunday at age 57.

Following news of Muldoon's death, Richards — who first starred with the actor in the 1997 sci-fi cult favorite Starship Troopers — remembered him in a statement released Tuesday to Instagram.

"This is so hard for me to put into words. I am deeply heartbroken & devastated losing you. You were my best friend & my family," Richards wrote in the post, which also contained various images of the pair. "We met in our first acting class, I was 19 never had an acting job and you were 21 a student at USC doing a recurring role on who’s the boss. And here we are. 36 years later. My whole adult life & I don’t know it without you."

She continued, "The friendship, love, support, respect & loyalty we had was unconditional and rare. You lit up every room you walked into. You are larger than life & Everyone was drawn to you. So talented & most underrated actor. And most humble."

Patrick Muldoon and Denise Richards in 'Junkyard Dogs'Credit: Everett

"Everything you did was infectious. Your laugh, your kindness, your wit, your strength, your loyalty, your passion, and your zest for life. We’ve been each other’s rock. Our memories together are endless. You’ve had my back and protected me more than anyone. I don’t know what I’m going to do without you here," Richards wrote. "You’re my voice of reason & pillar of strength. Especially during this last year of pain & heartache. And now I need you more than ever, for this pain and heartache losing you. Schweetbabe we’ve had those conversations.. We thought we’d live forever or at least into our 90’s. Schweetbabe I will be looking for those signs. I you’re still here with me. I love you so much & miss you dearly schweetbabe."Richards and Muldoon appeared together in supporting roles opposite Casper Van Dien in the Paul Verhoeven-directed action movie, and would go on to have a romantic relationship in the 1990s. They split up in 2000.

Despite the end of their romantic relationship, the pair remained close friends and collaborators over the years. Muldoon had a such large presence in Richards' life that he eventually showed up on screen during her Real Housewives of Beverly Hills run.

In one scene of the reality series, he attempted to get Richards to star in a music video as his love interest, describing her role as "the hot chick in the video" and summarizing the vibe of the visual as "a little melodramatic, but sexy" that "kind of scares you, kind of turns you on."

Richards observed of the moment: "The video is roughly about us, because I was the girl that got away."

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The actress admitted in an episode of Bravo's Denise Richards & Her Wild Things that she temporarily cut off contact with Muldoon during her marriage to Charlie Sheen.

"I did not speak to Pat when I was married to Charlie," she said, per Us. "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."

Prior to his death, Muldoon filmed several other projects with Richards, including the 2020 family adventure film Timecrafters: The Treasure of Pirate's Cove and the 2015 holiday film A Christmas Reunion.

'Starship Troopers' actors Patrick Muldoon and Denise RichardsCredit: Everett

They filmed one additional project, Dirty Hands, together before Muldoon's death. The crime thriller is set for release later this year.

Outside of his work with Richards, Muldoon rose to prominence on the small screen as Austin Reed on Days of Our Lives. He played the aspiring boxer-turned-businessman from 1992 to 1995, and returned to the soap from 2011 to 2012.

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The end of his first Days run coincided with his introduction as the villainous Richard Hart on the third-season finale of Melrose Place. Muldoon recurred on the series throughout its fourth and fifth seasons, and worked steadily in film and TV until the end of his life.

Just two days before his death, Muldoon posted on Instagram that he was an executive producer on the upcoming thriller Kockroach, starring Chris Hemsworth, Taron Egerton, Zazie Beetz, and Alec Baldwin.

on Entertainment Weekly

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