Actor Alan Thicke unexpectedly passed away in December 2016. His son, Robin, did not invite his former wife to his father’s funeral. He later claimed she never liked his father anyway and would only want to be there for publicity purposes. He has also stated that their current child custody battle began when she grew angry at being excluded from her former father-in-law’s burial services. Some Illinois readers may relate to such issues.
Thicke’s former wife, Paula Patton, has a very different opinion as to the central issues of their current custody battle. She says officials at her 6-year-old son’s school told her the child has repeatedly made comments regarding being hit by his father. As per the former couple’s current custody agreement, the child stays overnight at his father’s house three nights per week.
Thicke said he has never harmed his son and has only disciplined him according to agreed-upon measures he and the child’s mother devised. Patton says the boy has become extremely despondent, and when he speaks, he has begun to stutter. She also alleges that Thicke does drugs and drinks alcohol a lot, and she is concerned those habits may be negatively affecting his ability to parent.
Child custody battles are nothing new among Hollywood stars or average residents in Illinois. It’s not uncommon for disagreements to escalate into full-blown courtroom battles if a breakdown in communication occurs between parents. Allowing an attorney to speak and act on one’s behalf is often a means of preventing angry outbursts and obtaining agreeable solutions to child-related problems in a divorce.
Source: USA Today, “Paula Patton, Robin Thicke engage in new custody battle“, Andrea Mandell, Jan. 12, 2017
