Paula Patton's Boyfriend Says He and His Wife Were 'Separated' Before Dating the Actress
Paula Patton’s no home-wrecker, at least according to her new boyfriend.
The actress, 42, recently revealed that for the last month she’s been dating a new guy, realtor Zach Quittman, who, it was later reported, is currently married to another woman. The situation has drawn criticism on social media, where some have pointed out that Patton recently left her ex-husband Robin Thicke for cheating during their marriage.
But according to Quittman, he and his estranged wife are no longer together. “We were totally separated before I moved on,” the realtor tells PEOPLE.
He added that they’ve been separated “for awhile.” Quittman also responded to rumors that his estranged wife was caught off guard by his moving on. “Obviously there’s three sides to every story and I’m not pointing the finger or saying anyone’s wrong, but we were definitely separated before I moved on,” he explained.
On Wednesday, the duo were spotted out in New York City holding hands and smiling with the new man in her life.
Patton called Quittman her “boyfriend” while promoting her new film Traffik on Extra TV Monday.
“I have a boyfriend now,” she told the outlet. “I haven’t called anybody a boyfriend. He’s my boyfriend!”
Patton and Quittman have been dating for “a month.” She added, “But when you know, you know. I love him.”
While she declined to name him at the time, she did hint at how they met: “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!”
Patton, who went through a bitter custody battle over her son Julian Fuego with ex-husband Robin Thicke, also opened up about the key to successful coparenting with the singer. “To live in the now,” she said. “You have to forgive. That was then, this is now. You don’t have to hold on to anything. You are not doing your children any service. Bring as much peace and harmony to their life as you can.”
Thicke, 40, and Patton worked out a custody arrangement for Julian last year, around the same time Thicke’s current girlfriend April Love Gearyannounced her pregnancy.
“Robin and Paula had lots of drama and disagreements, but everyone is doing better now,” an insider told PEOPLE at the time. “They realized they needed to figure out ways to get along, so things would be easier for their son.”
The source added, “The drama was very difficult and unfair to Julian. Lately, things are much better. They all seem happier.”
Patton’s new film Traffik hits theaters April 20.
