Denise was the name of a roommate Phoebe claimed to have Season 6. She was never seen in an episode.
In "The One With Ross' Denial", when Rachel needs a new place to live after Chandler moves in with Monica, Phoebe first avoids having Rachel move in with her by saying that she already has a roommate, Denise. When Rachel can't find another place, she makes her mind up and says that Denise has moved out and won't be back until the 26th of December. Rachel jokingly says that Denise may be Santa, to which Phoebe shows a puzzled face as she thinks this may be true.
Since in "The One in Vegas, Part 1" Phoebe says she lives alone, it is possible that Phoebe made Denise up.
Quick Answers
Who is Phoebe's mysterious roommate Denise?
In Season 6 of Friends, Phoebe Buffay introduces Denise as her roommate to avoid having Rachel Green move in with her. Denise is never physically seen in the series and is not mentioned again after Phoebe informs Rachel that Denise won't return until December 26. The existence of Denise is questionable as Phoebe later states that she lives alone.
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Why did Phoebe claim to have a roommate named Denise?
In Friends Season 6, Phoebe invented a roommate, Denise, to prevent Rachel from moving in with her following Chandler's move into Monica's apartment. When Rachel was unable to secure alternative accommodation, Phoebe claimed that Denise had moved out, returning only on December 26th. This fictitious move was later used by Phoebe as a pretext to let Rachel move in.
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Did Denise ever appear in any episodes of Friends?
In Friends, Denise is referred to as Phoebe's roommate during Season 6. Despite this, she never makes an on-screen appearance. Phoebe uses Denise to prevent Rachel from moving in with her, later claiming that Denise won't return until December 26th.
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What was the joke about Denise possibly being Santa Claus?
The humor around Denise potentially being Santa Claus arose when Rachel playfully proposed that Denise, absent until December 26th, could be Santa. This notion left Phoebe, who previously stated living alone, suggesting Denise might be imaginary, pondering the idea.
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What happened to Denise after Rachel decided to move in with Phoebe?
Denise, Phoebe's roommate, supposedly moved out when Rachel decided to move in. Denise was never seen or mentioned again, suggesting that Phoebe might have invented her to initially prevent Rachel from moving in.
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