Sami, 20, and Lola, 19, share what it’s like growing up with their famous parents
When Sami Sheen was at the doctor’s office and filling out forms a while back, she needed her father’s birth date. As she recalls, “I googled ‘what year was Charlie Sheen born.'” (Her mom, Denise Richards deadpans, “Well, that’s a plus.”)
As she and her daughters share in an exclusive interview in this week’s PEOPLE, an internet search can go a lot of ways when it comes to their family, including her ex-husband Charlie Sheen, 59, the father of Sami, 20, and Lola, 19.
So when asked if they’ve ever googled some of their father’s more infamous catchphrases, “tiger blood” for instance, the two girls share a puzzled look.
Richards, 54, explains, “Doing the show, I discover things that our daughters didn’t know and they kind of get upset with me for not sharing with them. I always tried to protect them. I filed for divorce when I was pregnant with Lola (in 2005). You don’t think, ‘Oh when they’re 19 and 20, they’re going to read about all this.’ I always thought they’ll never find out what happened and the opposite. I told them if they have any questions to come to me and I will honestly answer the best I can.”
“The only thing that rings a bell with tiger blood is a snow cone flavor, that’s about it,” says Sami. Lola nods, “Yeah, same.”
Richards later explains, “I’ve never talked to them about that.”
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Now, as they embark on their new freewheeling reality show Denise Richards & Her Wild Things, launching March 4 on Bravo, (her husband of six years, Aaron Phypers, 52, and younger daughter Eloise, 13, round out the cast) the girls are still learning more about their family — and the headlines that often came with it.
“People always say what’s it like having famous parents?” says Sami. “I don’t know. They are my parents. It’s not weird. What would be weird would be if I walked into a bank and they were working there — or Starbucks. That would be more out of the ordinary than seeing them on TV because that’s all we know.”