Denise Richards admits going to dinner with ex-husband Charlie Sheen and four hookers was an "insane" experience.

Although the 39-year-old actress - who has two daughters, Sam, seven, and six-year-old Lola, with the former 'Two and a Half Men' star -initially thought it was "sweet" that Charlie had invited her out for a meal while she was in New York last October, the situation quickly got "really crazy".

The evening eventually culminated in Charlie going a drink and drug fuelled rampage in his room at the Plaza Hotel and allegedly attacking porn star Capri Anderson, who had been one of the dinner guests.

Speaking to Ryan Seacrest on his KIIS-FM radio show, Denise said: "I was actually in New York to do press and brought my girls a couple of days early, he was off and thought it would be fun to all of us to go. I thought it was sweet because at the time, I thought he was in a different place entertainment wise of what he does in his free time.

"I did not know who was going to be at the table. When I found out I thought, 'I can be cool about this, I can hang', then things got a little crazy and colourful so I left the table. Then when things got really crazy it turned into a whole different thing.

"I think the police officer on the scene was a little dumbfounded about why I was at dinner with my ex-husband and four hookers. I was so nonchalant about it! Charlie had to be taken to the hospital and I went along. It was a very, very crazy memorable insane evening."

Denise - who also has a one-month-old adopted daughter, Eloise - admitted she is now trying to protect her children from the details of her father's public meltdown, and his subsequent behaviour which included him living with two girlfriends at his California home.

She added: "I honestly really wanted to protect the kids from it as much as I can, and there were a lot of things that truly weren't my place to comment on."