Denise Richards returns with a new television show and a new tattoo, courtesy of Kat Von D. Here’s what happens when two reality TV queens collide.

When something sureal goes down in Hollywood, it ’s safe to assume reality TV is involved. How else would Denise Richards, a 37-year-old actress and single mom, wind up linked to 26-year-old tattoo artist Kat Von D? Here’s the story: Kat, who stars in the ever-popular LA Ink, actually ended up on Richards’ new E! reality show, Denise Richards: It’s Complicated, when Richards (and her camera crew) visited Kat’s shop (no LA Ink camera crew that day) to cover up Richards’ tattoo of her ex-husband’s name (more on that later). It’s a confusing story, but then, not much in Richards’ life is simple. In fact, it’s complicated.

A former cheerleader at El Camino High School, in Oceanside, CA, Richards began modeling after graduation, and eventually made her way on to television shows such as Saved by The Bell and Seinfeld. Her breakthrough came after roles in the sci-fi classic Starship Troopers in 1997, and oversexed thriller Wild Things in 1998. But shortly after playing Dr. Christmas Jones in the 1999 Bond flick The World Is Not Enough, her personal life eclipsed her career. In 2002, she married actor Charlie Sheen and the couple had two daughters, Sam and Lola. When their marriage deteriorated, the messy divorce played out tabloid-style, with vicious rumors and a restraining order, followed by a relationship between Richards and Richie Sambora, the ex-husband of her friend Heather Locklear. Just when things settled down after her relationship with Sambora ended in the spring of 2007, Richards mother passed away suddenly. Determined to set straight the tabloid view of her, Richards agreed to star in a new reality show.

INKED caught up with her to talk about family, her buddy Kat, her new show, and her fresh tattoo.

INKED: What made you want to do a reality show?

Denise Richards: I’ve been asked for the last few years to do a reality show and I wasn’t interested because I was going through so much with my personal life. But my mom and my father were pushing me to do it because there was so much negative press on me, and they wanted the chance for people to see who I really was. So, when Ryan Seacrest called to talk about a show, I decided to meet with him because I have a lot of respect for him. While we were still negotiating the deal to do the show, my mom passed away. And right after she died, I decided it was something I really wanted to do. Because I knew it was something my mom wanted me to do.

Who else is featured on your show?

My father. Since my mom passed away, my dad’s been staying at my house and we’re kind of helping each other through this time. We weren’t expecting my mom to pass away when she did, so that was a bit of a shock. My sister, who’s a year and half younger than me, is also in the show with her husband and their kids. There’s also my best friend, two more of my girlfriends, and my assistant.

And your daughters are also featured, right?

Yes. In making a decision to do a reality show, I wanted it to be real. And that’s why I chose to have my children be a part of it. The show is not about my kids. But, you know, I’m a single mom. I’m a hands-on mom, and if I didn’t have the kids in the show people would wonder where my kids are, and be like, ‘I thought she said she was a hands-on mom and her kids aren’t even in it!’ And if I did have them on the show? Well, now people have said I’m exploiting them. But I personally feel my ex-husband is the one who drew attention to that. There are many reality shows with kids, and no one has ever made, that I know of, negative comments about seeing them on TV.

Your ex-husband, Charlie Sheen, went to court to block you from featuring your daughters on the show. Were you surprised?

When I first mentioned it to him, he was fine with it. I needed a signed waiver from him, and he never said that he was concerned or anything. Charlie knows I’m a good mom and that I would never exploit them. But then it became something for him to fight about, and not necessarily about the kids. And it became a conflict.

Is being on a reality show anything like you expected it would be?

The hardest thing for me is realizing I have the freedom to do what I want. You know, I’m used having marks and having to wait for cameras to focus. I’m not used to just being able to walk around wherever I want in front of a camera.

Related Links:
Kat Von D : http://www.katvond.net/