Denise Richards’ time on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test has come to an end—and not for reasons anyone expected. The actress and TV personality revealed that she ruptured her breast implants during filming of the Fox reality series, which challenges celebrity recruits with grueling U.S. Special Forces–style training exercises.
Bridge Jump Gone Wrong
Before the third season even premiered, Richards revealed that jumping off a 130-foot-high bridge caused serious damage to her implants—one of the very first (and most terrifying) tasks the recruits were ordered to complete. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly the day after her exit aired, she explained that the incident was more complicated than it looked on TV.
“So I had four hernias… repaired a couple years [ago] actually when I did Housewives,” Richards says, referring to her time on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. “Also with that harness [for the bridge jump], because it’s around that area and then also over our chest, we thought that was damaged too… But that’s all good. I had swelling in the area, but it went down and I didn’t need surgery again.”
Ongoing Implant Concerns
The implants, however, were not as lucky. Richards, known for her iconic roles in Starship Troopers, Wild Things, and The World Is Not Enough, confirmed that she does, in fact, need surgery.“I still have to have surgery with my implants,” she notes. “I just haven’t had the downtime yet. I’m hoping to do it in a couple weeks. Either [get them] replaced or removed, whatever I decide to do. The ones that are there have to come out.”
Richards felt something was off during the production. Initially, she suspected the heavy gear and harnesses were to blame, especially given the ongoing pain around her previous hernia surgery site. Still, she was determined to stay in the competition as long as possible.
No Choice but to Leave
While Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test does allow medical checks, there’s a catch: Participants who seek outside medical attention must withdraw from the show altogether. For Richards, that meant having to make a tough call.
“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 explains. “I wanted to make sure I didn’t damage the hernias. I knew the implants were an issue, but it was the hernia site I was really worried about.”
Despite her efforts, the show’s rules left her little option but to leave. Still, she looks back on her short time on Special Forces with pride, especially after completing the jaw-dropping bridge jump and another stunt that involved flinging herself from a moving boat onto a helicopter.
Overcoming Fears and Trauma
Richards was often visibly shaken during the show, something the instructors picked up on. She admits that she’s experienced multiple personal traumas, including sexual assault, which made certain parts of the intense training emotionally and mentally challenging.
“I wanted to be able to get out of it what I really, truly could,” she tells EW. “I was hesitant even sharing that. But I thought, I just have to be honest. Otherwise, why am I really here?”
Ultimately, she’s proud of what she accomplished.
“I am actually very proud of myself,” Richards says. “I had the guts to jump off a bridge… I was so happy. Even though I couldn’t climb in that helicopter, I was able to at least grab on and hang from there. I never in a million years thought I could do that.”
Moving forward, Richards plans to address her breast implant injuries when she has the time. For now, she’s focused on healing and staying healthy—both physically and mentally—after this demanding reality TV experience.