Denise Richards to Earn $4 Million, the Most of Any ‘Real Housewives’

Getting a former Bond Girl to join the Real Housewives franchise is going to cost Bravo a pretty penny. Denise Richards is reportedly set to become the highest-paid Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star in the series’ history.

Sources told Radar Online Thursday that Richards will earn $4 million over four years.

“She was guaranteed to appear on the show for four seasons,” an insider told the site.

The sources said the producers wanted to keep Richards’ salary out of the headlines to avoid angering the other members of the cast. Of course, this could provide plenty of drama in front of the cameras though.

“The other ladies are pissed off about it,” the source said.

Radar reported that the storyline featuring Richards, 47, will center on her raising her three children, Sam, 14; Lola, 13; and Eloise, 7. Her tumultuous relationship with ex-husband Charlie Sheen will also be a subject of drama, especially after reports that Sheen asked to have his monthly child support lowered.

Last week, court documents revealed that Sheen asked a court to lower the child-support payments he makes to ex-wives Richards and Brooke Mueller. He claims he has been “blacklisted” by the entertainment industry and could no longer pay $55,000 a month to Mueller and $20,000 a month to Richards. Sheen claims he was ordered to pay both Mueller and Richards 9.5 percent of his annual income.

Rumors that Richards was joining Real Housewives surfaced last month, when a source told PEOPLE she is a big Real Housewives fan. Richards confirmed she was joining the new season on Wednesday.

“I am so excited to join the cast of [RHOBH] as I am a huge fan of the show,” Richards told PEOPLE.

The other Real Housewives on the new season are expected to be Lisa Vanderpump, Kyle Richards, Lisa Rinna, Erika Girardi, Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave and Dorit Kemsley.

“She’s a huge Housewives fan and watches all of the shows. And she has close relationships with many of the women in real life, including Kyle Richards and Lisa Rinna,” an insider told PEOPLE in July. “The timing was never right for her in the past, but the producers needed to shake the dynamic of the show up after a season without much conflict. She’s going to be a great fit. She’s not afraid of the drama. And she lives a glamorous, Hollywood life — which the show looks for.”

Richards previously starred in the E! reality series Denise Richards: It’s Complicated for two seasons. She is best known for her roles in the James Bond movie The World Is Not Enough, Love Actually and Wild Things. She was married to Sheen from 2002 to 2006.

The ninth season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills does not have a premiere date set.

Photo credit: Gisela Schober/Getty Images