Denise Richards’ Daughter Sam Looks Just Like Her in New Photos for Her 17th Birthday

Denise Richards paid tribute to her lookalike daughter Sam on Wednesday as the teen celebrated her 17th birthday. To mark the special occasion, the actress took to social media to share a gallery of images of the birthday girl, including a throwback photo of the PEOPLE magazine cover announcing that she and ex-husband Charlie Sheen had welcomed their first child into the world. Along with Sam, the former couple also shares daughter Lola Rose, 15. Richards adopted her third daughter, Eloise Joni, 9, in 2011.

In a touching message to her daughter, Richards said she “can’t believe my beautiful baby girl is 17,” reflecting on how “time flies by so fast.” She said she is “so amazed” by the “beautiful young woman” her daughter has grown into, admitting that “a part of me would give anything to have those years back when you were little. I cherish those precious moments.” She went on to write, “I love you so much Sami girl. I’m so proud of you. You’re beyond beautiful inside and out and so compassionate. I love you my Sami. Happy Birthday.”

The post garnered plenty of love from Richards’ followers, including Phillip Bloch, who said he thinks he “styled that cover. And I’m only 30 something or 40ish [laughing out loud] God bless they grow up so quickly she is absolutely stunning. What a beautiful gift to the world from two beautiful people.” Sam, meanwhile, told her mom, “I love you.” Several fans were simply in shock at the close resemblance of the mother-daughter duo, with one person commenting, “Sami looks just like her Beautiful Mum.”

While Sheen didn’t wish his daughter a happy birthday on social media, he paid tribute to her in a more personal way. According to Hollywood Life, the entire family got together for a birthday dinner, with the teen sharing a photo from the outing to her Instagram Story which was later reshared by another Instagram account. The photo showed Sam, both of her parents, and sister Lola all smiling for the snapshot, with a piece of cake with a candle in front of the birthday girl.

Sam’s birthday comes after Richards opened up to PEOPLE in 2019 about parenting, admitting that she believes she is a “strict parent” and has “rules and boundaries and there’s consequences.” Richards also revealed that one of her daughters can be “extremely headstrong,” recalling how her father told her, “‘It might be challenging right now, but when she’s an adult, you are going to be so grateful because she is going to be one strong woman.’”