Maryland fans of singer Robin Thicke may know that he has been in a custody battle with his 6-year-old son’s mother, Paula Patton. On Jan. 26, his request for temporary sole custody was denied, and furthermore, a restraining order was served against him. He is not permitted to go near Patton, his son or Patton’s mother.
Both parents had wanted custody of their son. Patton had said that Thicke spanked the boy excessively, and Thicke accused Patton of emotional abuse. Earlier in January, Patton had testified in family court that she was concerned about Thicke’s alcohol and drug use as well as how he approached discipline with their child. She also said that her son became anxious and yelled at her when she questioned him about how his father treated him.
One of the boy’s teachers and the principal of his school also gave independent testimony that the boy reported being hit hard by Thicke. At an earlier time, Patton had requested supervised visits for Thicke, but her request had been denied.
Usually, a court works under the assumption that a child is better off having time with both parents. This may be the case even if the other parent profoundly disagrees with that parent’s lifestyle and child-rearing choices. However, in cases like this one, in which a parent demonstrates reason to believe there are issues such as physical abuse and substance abuse, a parent may lose visitation rights. A parent who is concerned about the other parent’s treatment of their child may want to document any incidents to present in court. Both parents in such a situation may want to discuss the situation and what their next steps should be with their individual attorneys.
Source: Radar Online, “Court Bombshell: Robin Thicke Loses Custody Of Son,” Jan. 26, 2017