Controversial singer Robin Thicke and wife Paula Patton split after nine years of marriage

Hitmaker Robin Thicke and his wife Paula Patton have separated after nearly nine years.

"We will always love each other and be best friends, however, we have mutually decided to separate at this time," the couple said in a joint statement to People magazine on Monday.

Robin and Paula met when they were teenagers, married in 2005 and had a son, Julian in 2010.

“I knew she was special the night I met her. I was only 14, but she was already the most special girl," Miley's twerking co-star told Star Magazine a few months ago.

“As a relationship progresses, you fall in love again in so many deeper ways. You realize that you need each other and you can’t live without each other."

Robin Thicke and Miley Cyrus caused outrage with their twerking performance at the MTV VMAs  

The Blurred Lines singer gave a gushing interview praising his wife Paula, just days after a picture emerged of him groping a young fan back in September.

He told Prestige magazine: "I don’t know if I would still be alive in some ways if it wasn’t for Paula. She’s been my rock, my muse, my inspiration and I love her. The whole way."

Actress Paula, who has a three-year-old son with the sunglasses loving singer, also gave her verdict on what makes the couple tick.

She said: 'We’re best friends. We laugh a lot. But that’s our down time. We do the things you’re supposed to do, like work out. We love to travel together and travel with our child.

"We don’t have normal jobs. So it’s always a work house. Robin makes music at home and my job when I’m not on set always brings people into our home.'