What cheating controversy? Paula Patton and married boyfriend make public debut
Paula Patton isn’t going to let internet gossip come between her and her new man.
The actress made her red carpet debut with her new boyfriend of a month, Zach Quittman, on Thursday at the L.A. premiere of her new film, Traffik. Yes, the guy who is still married to someone else.
Despite their relationship making headline news all week, Patton, wearing Gucci, held hands with the Malibu real estate agent on the red carpet. They were all smiles for the camera for their first official pics, in which she has a slight height advantage.
The actress posted a solo shot of herself from the carpet on her Instagram page. However, Quittman appeared at her side in some of the stories. He was sitting next to her inside the premiere and was among those clapping when she was lauded for her performance.
It’s been a wild week for Patton. The public always had lots of sympathy for her after her marriage to high school sweetheart Robin Thicke fell apart amid reports that he was cheating. However, after she told Extra on Monday that she had a new boyfriend of one month and that she was in love (“If you have a kid and you have a basketball game, look at the daddies. … It’s kind of a suburban romance. He’s got kids, I got a kid. It’s one of those!” she exclaimed), the New York Post’s Page Six reported that he is married. And not separated married. Married married. “He doesn’t even have his stuff out of the house,” a source told the newspaper.
Patton’s team did some damage control the last few days. One insider swore to Yahoo Entertainment, “[Zach] was separated when they began dating. [The separation] may have been fresh, but he and his wife weren’t together.” We were also told that Patton has zero intention of hiding her new relationship, despite whispers and social media backlash.
That intention was clear on Thursday. During Patton’s appearances on Live With Kelly and Ryan and Today with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, cameras cut to Quittman both times when Patton spoke about him. And she had a lot to say, gushing to Ripa and Seacrest that she’s “in love” and he’s “the first boyfriend I have had since I got divorced.” On Today, she told him, “I love you, baby!” Then, of course, the premiere was last night, and they held hands for their big couple debut.
Patton can handle herself — and the gossip — though. Her split from Thicke was one of the ugliest out there and included a custody battle over their son, Julian. But she made it through to the other side — and she’s found love again.
Video: Paula Patton on New Film, Boyfriend, and Meghan Markle
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