Denise Moves Out, Charlie Moves On

Thu., Jun. 29, 2006 12:00 PM PDT by Sarah Hall

It seems Denise Richards wants to put some distance between herself and her ex-friend Heather Locklear.

Richards has placed the Los Angeles-area home she bought last year after her initial separation from Charlie Sheen on the market for $4.3 million, the Los Angeles Times reports.

In an only-in Hollywood twist, the 7,400-square-foot, six-bedroom home in Westlake Village is located virtually next door to the home Locklear once shared with her now estranged husband Richie Sambora, whom Richards is now dating.

Richards has claimed that she and Locklear were never "best friends," thus making her decision to date her former confidante's soon-to-be ex-husband understandable, at least in her mind.

"You know you can't help who you fall for and that friendship, unfortunately, was done and wasn't salvageable," an unrepentant Richards told Entertainment Tonight earlier this month.

The actress has already purchased another home closer to L.A., according to People magazine.

Apart from her various real estate transactions, Richards has been staying busy on both the personal and professional fronts.

ABC recently extended her pilot options for Secrets of a Small Town, a series that wasn't picked up at the May upfronts. The extension means the show may still make it onto the network's lineup next year as a midseason replacement.

Meanwhile, Richards' messy divorce battle with Sheen continues to rage on. Last month, the Two and a Half Men star agreed to supervised visits with the couple's daughters, Sam, 2, and Lola, 1, while the court evaluates what is best for the children.

Richards has asked for sole custody of the kids, while Sheen wants joint custody. They are scheduled to revisit the matter next month.

The warring duo were due back in court Wednesday for a hearing on an extension of Richards' temporary restraining order against Sheen. However, that hearing was postponed to July 13.

Sheen is likely having an easier time keeping his court-ordered distance from Richards now that he, too, is working on some real estate transactions of sorts. He has confirmed that he is dating Brooke Mueller, a Realtor whom he's been seeing for several weeks.