When it comes to having her two young daughters appear in her new E! reality series, Denise Richards apparently feels she's damned if she does and damned if she doesn't.

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"I'm in a no-win situation," Richards told People in a Sunday report.  "If I don't have my children in my show, then people will say, 'Well, she's really not a hands-on mom.' If I do have my children, people are saying that I'm exploiting them. And I think there's plenty of reality shows with families, where you don't watch them -- at least I never did -- and think they really exploited their kids."

The currently-untitled reality series about the 36-year-old actress and single mom is scheduled to debut this summer on E!. 

However it received a considerable amount of media attention while being developed due to her ex-husband Charlie Sheen's refusal to allow the divorced couple's two daughters -- 3-year-old Sam and 2-year-old Lola -- appear onscreen. 

Despite his objection due to what he felt was "exploitative of the children for the mother's own vanity and greed," Richards got the okay in Los Angeles Superior Court to allow the two children to appear in the show.

"I made a commitment to do this show, and I want it to be as real as possible -- and that's what it is," she told People.  "Everyone has a perception of me, and I'm hoping that people will get to see my life and I think I relate to a lot of people."

Richards labeled her November divorce from Sheen as "difficult," and added times got even tougher when her mother passed away due to cancer in December.

"See what it's like to be a single mom raising two daughters and juggling a career," Richards told People in explaining the reality show.  "And just recently my dad moved into my house, so it's balancing all of that. For me it's the greatest job. I'm having so much fun!"

Ryan Seacrest Productions will produce the series, which Richards said will also feature appearances by her daughters' new pet.

"I'm not sure how much I'm supposed to say, but all I can say is [the pet's] name is Bob," she told People.  "And he is fantastic! I love Bob!"

Another aspect of the reality series that Richards isn't as enthusiastic about is her love life.

"I don't like dating. I really don't," she told People.  "I find it painful. I'm not good at it."

As for the blind date Richards recently went on, she said it didn't work out.

"He was a lovely man but I was very uncomfortable," she told People.
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio

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