So it came as a shock to most when Robin Thicke and Paula Patton announced their separation
to the world on Monday after almost nine years of marriage and a romance that spanned more than two decades.
Meeting at under-21s hip-hop club Balistyx on LA's famed Sunset Strip when the aspiring singer was just 14 years old and his lady love not quite 16, the two embarked on a fairytale journey together that culminated in their wedding in June 2005 followed by the birth of their son, Julian, on April 6, 2010.
No sign of trouble: Robin Thicke was in great
spirits, happily chatting with fans and signing autographs as he took
son Julian to Disneyland on Sunday, wedding ring firmly in place the day
before he and wife Paula Patton announced their separation
Doting dad: The father-of-one treated his
three-and-a-half-year-old to a fun day out at the Happiest Place On
Earth after reportedly quietly splitting from his wife of almost nine
years earlier this month
Taking a look back through their respective high-school yearbooks, it's impossible to miss the aspiring actress and the jock-turned-singer, who feature heavily in the leather-bound pages.
In the fifth grade, Thicke, who turns 37 on March 10, stood front and centre in a photo with his basketball team, bursting with pride presumably after a win.
The youngster sported a cropped flattop hairdo and a cheeky grin.
Lothario-in-the-making: A then-16-year-old Robin
was coming into his own having signed his first record deal while a
student at Campbell Hall High School in 1991, before the troublemaker
was expelled, finising his schooling at Montclair College Prep
She came, she saw, she conquered: Paula Patton
was always ambitious and a good student who pursued her love of acting
with roles in various school plays and was the president of the Black
Student Union while attending Hamilton Magnet Arts High School
Playing nice for the cameras? The couple
certainly acted like a happily married couple as they attended the
Grammy Awards together on January 26, giving no indication of their
strained relations
Fast-forward three years, to the eighth grade, and the lothario was coming into his own and developing a more relaxed style, with longer, floppy locks and a more chiselled face.
Paula, meanwhile, was voted best looking during her senior year, which is hardly surprising given
her exotic looks.
The now-38-year-old wore her dark locks in their natural curly state and had thick, sculpted eyebrows that perfectly framed her strong features.
Also not surprising was her appearance in various school plays as she pursued her love of acting
- her favourite role being that of Abigail in The Crucible.
From stage to big screen: The actress honed her
skills with parts in school productions such as playing Abigail in The
Crucible (pictured), which she cites as her favourite
Leading lady: Her breakout role came when she
starred alongside Tom Cruise in 2011's Mission: Impossible - Ghost
Protocol, while she is expected to reprise the role of Jane Carter in
2015 sequel Mission: Impossible 5
On Sunday, there was no indication that anything was amiss in the couple's relationship as doting dad Robin took his son to Disneyland - the day before news of the couple's split broke.
In fact, the star was still very much wearing his wedding ring despite reports stating that they had gone their separate ways earlier this month.
Fellow parkgoers also report that the Blurred Lines hitmaker appeared in good spirits, happily signing autographs and chatting with fans.
'I asked if I could get his autograph and he said, "Sure, baby!"' Us Weekly reported a fan as saying. 'He signed my Disneyland autograph book!
What might have been: The musician appeared to
have a promising career as a basketball player in the fifth grade,
before his love of music became all-consuming
The height of fashion: 1988 was evidently the year of the flattop hairdo, which the chubby-cheeked youngster rocked with aplomb
She
stood out from the crowd: In her senior year, the exotic beauty was
voted best looking by her peers, which is hardly a surprise given her
striking looks which were accentuated by thick, sculpted eyebrows and
her brunette locks worn in their natural curly state
While no reason was given for the couple's split, Us Weekly reports that multiple sources have told them that the decision wasn't made in haste.
'It is not a shock to Robin or Paula, and it is something they have discussed for a long time,' the source told the publication, while another insider added: 'Their marriage was unraveling for a long time.'
Just hours after making the shock announcement, the controversial singer was already being propositioned - by the young woman whose bottom he was pictured grabbing following his VMAs performance in August.
Daydreamer: The teenager had high hopes of a
career in the music industry even at a young age, while he was already a
hit with the ladies, too, having been going steady with Paula for
almost two years by this stage
Bone of contention? The married singer copped
plenty of flack for his 'inappropriate' performance at August's MTV VMAs
with a scantily-clad Miley Cyrus, who groped him and twerked against
him, though while Paula insisted she approved, perhaps that wasn't quite
the case
'I'd love to grab a drink with him if he asked,' 20-year-old Lana Scolaro told TMZ.
The married father-of-one's recent flirtatious behaviour with women other than his wife certainly raised plenty of eyebrows in the months leading up to the split.
His MTV VMAs performance with a scantily-clad Miley Cyrus, who groped him and twerked up against him, was deemed inappropriate by many, as was his bum-groping of Lana.
Just last month, he was also pictured getting a little too close for comfort with a pretty woman at Club 79 in Paris.
The star embraced the striking brunette, who had her arms flirtily around his neck as they dirty danced together, all the while Robin was grinning like the Cheshire Cat.
Boys' day out: The star, who turns 37 on March
10, enjoyed riding on the kiddie rides with his cute blond mini-me at
Disney on Sunday, relishing the attention he received from fans
Ar you scared, Dad? Robin held his eyes tightly shut while his brave son took the roller-coaster in his stride
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