Denise Richards' estranged husband, Aaron Phypers, has alleged that she had an affair and claims to have text messages to support it

He has now explained the events that led him to file for divorce after nine years of marriage to the former Bond girl, including claims that she stole and broke his phone.

In an interview with TMZ, he recounted: "It's smashed to pieces. Unrecognisable. It's gone. I went over to her and was like, 'You broke my effing phone? Why? Why did you do that?'"

Aaron says Denise denied taking or breaking his phone.

He said: "So, that's what started it. That was July 4.

It was July 5 when I found the phone."

Aaron claims she took his phone because it contained evidence of her alleged affair.

He said: "They were texting back and forth, and I caught it.

Her and I were watching that show Traitors on the sofa ... and she fell asleep, and I just had this feeling.

I have her passcode for her stuff, and I'm going through it. I go into deleted, and I see some text messages that are super inappropriate. I'm like, 'What the hell?'"

He continued: "She wakes up, and I go, 'Why are you doing this?'

And she goes, 'Oh my God, please don't leave me, please don't leave me.'

I'm like, whatever. She says, 'I'm so sorry. I won't do that again.'"

Aaron says this occurred in February and claims he wasn't invited to her birthday on February 17. According to him, she planned to meet the man on March 20 - the day after his own birthday on March 19.

He said: "So I see all the stuff going on, and I am just crushed, man. Nine years. With vows."

Aaron claims Denise gave him permission to access her "stuff" after he "caught her the first time" because she wanted to "rebuild trust."

He said: "I opened her computer and I hit refresh - or sync, or whatever - the iCloud thing, and it repopulated all the texts and communications she had deleted from her stuff.

And it was jaw-dropping.

And I took pictures of it, because I'm like, what the hell is going on here?"

Aaron said Denise begged him not to leave her and continued communicating with the man even while he was consoling her after her reconstructive surgery in May. Her smashing his phone, he says, was "the last straw."

He said: "Oh my God, yeah. For her to yell at me, 'I don't have your phone!!!'

The fact that you're saying that disgusts me.

I'm like, 'Who are you?'"

Addressing how Denise got a black eye, he told the outlet: "I did not hit my wife in the face. Ever. I grabbed and restrained her."

He added: "She falls down a lot, and it's embarrassing, and people know it ... it's scary."

Aaron says Denise's abuse allegations have "put me in grave danger," but insists he still loves her and wants her to "get help."

He said: "She needs help. I love her. I want her to get help.

The fact that she put this thing with me beating her - I am devastated.

I am heartbroken.

I didn't want this, and I want her to work it out.

But she's got to get help.

It's not for me now; it's for herself and her daughters."

He concluded: "She needs to get help, she's got to get cleaned up, and be responsible and own what she's doing - 'cause that's it."

Denise has been granted a temporary restraining order against Aaron after she accused him of physically abusing her.

On July 4, Denise alleged her spouse "repeatedly got within two inches of [her] face and screamed ... degrading profanities, including calling me a '**** w****' and a 'piece of s***.' Aaron repeatedly grabbed my left arm tightly."

She added that the following day, Aaron arrived at her house and yelled similar insults. She also claims he "violently hit the bill of my hat with the back of his hand, which caused my hat to fall off my head."

Aaron has denied all allegations of abuse made against him.

In a statement to People, he said: "I want to address recent rumours and speculation that have surfaced regarding my relationship with my wife, Denise Richards.

Let me be unequivocally clear: I have never physically or emotionally abused Denise - or anyone.

These accusations are completely false and deeply hurtful.

Denise and I, like many couples, have faced our share of challenges, but any suggestion of abuse is categorically untrue.

I have always tried to approach our marriage with love, patience, and respect."