Prepare For A Short-Lived Denise Richards Comeback On Bold And Beautiful

For the first time in four years, Denise Richards will reprise her role as Shauna Fulton on "The Bold and the Beautiful." On May 22, the daytime soap teased the return in a short trailer showing that Darin Brooks was also back on "The Bold and the Beautiful" as Wyatt Spencer. A brief clip showed Shauna entering a room and being greeted by her ex, Bill Spencer, who stood with Wyatt. After the teaser showed his return, Brooks gave a little insight into what Wyatt would be doing. "He comes back to L.A. for a reason that his dad asks, but he comes back with a surprise guest," the actor told Entertainment Weekly on May 25. Richards' Shauna is not only Bill's ex, but her daughter Flo is Wyatt's ex, so there is plenty of connective tissue between the returning characters.

Fans were excited to see Shauna back, and they expressed hope that it was more than a guest spot. "If Denise Richards is back give her a storyline. What's the point of bringing these people back if only for a few episodes and no storyline," one Instagram user wrote. One Reddit user shared their theory on just how long Shauna would be back. "[I]t sounds like Wyatt and Shauna will be staying permanently," they wrote. 

Unfortunately, the untold truth of Richards' return was that it was likely short-lived. One fan pointed out that TV journalist Michael Fairman reported that Brooks had signed a contract to return as Wyatt, but there was no mention of Richards also signing on long-term. As she prepared for her return, Richards gave insight into what it felt like to reunite with the cast on set.

Denise Richards spoke to People on May 25 and also offered the publication a short preview of Shauna Fulton's "The Bold and the Beautiful" return, which included an interaction with Bill Spencer. Shauna floated the idea of the pair working together on his store. "Remember Bill, I ran some very high-end boutiques in Vegas, and it just so happens I'm available now. I can just imagine getting in on the ground floor of the newest game in town," Shauna said in the clip (via People). Even though there were no indicators that Richards would be back for good, she was effusive when speaking about her experience back on the soap. "It feels like I never left. It's such a great family environment, and I love my character. She likes to cause a little trouble," the "Wild Things" star said. Perhaps fans could get Shauna back for a minor stint, as Richards hinted at when talking about her storyline. "A lot of times we have no idea what's going to happen too, which is so fun getting the scripts every Friday," she added.

A couple of months before returning to the show, Richards had a touching reunion with her castmates at the launch of the show's BBTV app. The Bravo reality star flaunted her figure in a slinky pink dress as she posed with fellow "TBTB" stars in March.

It seemed Richards was eager to return as Shauna, as she discussed the possibility a couple of years earlier. While appearing on "The Talk" in March 2024, Richards was asked point-blank if she would be open to reprising her daytime soap role. "I love working on that show. If they called me to come back and work on it, I definitely would," she said.