Denise Richards Rooting for Ashton Kutcher on 'Two and a Half Men'

Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards. (AP)

Ashton Kutcher already has one ally in his corner when he replaces Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men this fall. "I think Ashton is going to be great," Sheen's ex-wife, Denise Richards told reporters at the 22nd Annual Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation's 'A Time for Heroes' carnival on June 12.

But as happy as she is for Kutcher, Richards takes no pleasure in Sheen's departure from the sitcom. "I am sad to see Charlie not on the show," she says. "Nobody can replace Charlie. The show was written for him and he was so brilliant at it, but I think Ashton will make it his own."

Now that Sheen's media blitz and Torpedo of Truth tour has wound down, Richards is about to open up about her marriage to the troubled actor in a candid new memoir, coming out on July 26. "I get into the good stuff about my marriage because people have only gotten the rotten stuff," she says. "There was a beautiful love story between [us]. I talk about how I felt during that time because I feel like a lot of women can relate to that, going through a divorce and custody and being a single parent and trying to work."

Though her book will cover the Bond-actress' entire life, Richards recognizes that her relationship to Sheen is what fascinates people most.

"I went through a lot and I get asked a lot of questions about that time in my life so I figured that I would share my story and, hopefully, anyone that is dealing with challenges will know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel," says Richard. "We had one of the worst divorces so if we get into a good place, that's great."

The couple's daughters, Sam and Lola, says Richards, are blissfully unaware of the media frenzy surrounding their father.

"I protect my children from that. I don't keep the news on when they are around. In my house, none of those shows are allowed to be on," she says. "So far they are ok, but that could change as kids get older and more aware. But, today we are good."

As she gears up to shoot the second season of Spike TV's Blue Mountain State in Montreal, odds that she'll repeat her guest gig as Lisa on Two and a Half Men are slim to none.

"I've not been invited back," she says. What she's not ruling out is another reality TV show, and maybe a guest spot on this season of Entourage. "They asked me, but I don't know if we are going to be able to work out the dates," she says. "But I would love to. It's one of my favorite shows."

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