By Jared Sais
By now, we’ve all heard the news that power couple Robin Thicke and Paula Patton split after nearly a decade of marriage. The high school sweethearts appeared happy and in love on red carpets and at award shows in the past few months, so their separation announcement came as a surprise for many. So I can’t help but wonder: Did we all miss the signs that their breakup was imminent? With this thought in mind, I took a look at three recent photos of the couple and analyzed their body language:
Photo 1 (from left to right above): In this picture, we see the couple at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards on January 26, 2014. Thicke is still wearing his wedding ring, but their non-verbal cues say more than a piece of jewelry ever could. Both the stars are walking this red carpet as if they’re single already. If you cover up one of the them, you’ll see they’re posing separately. When two people are in love, they become a unit when taking a photo, and that’s not the case here.
Additionally, if we take a look at Thicke, we can see that he’s a bit stiff: His shoulders are squared off, and he’s facing the opposite way of Patton, showing that the couple are not in sync.
Looking forward a bit, you’ll notice that Patton has the same stance in all three photos. She’s got one hand on her hip (which conveys dominance) and is facing the camera. Girls often do this pose, with either one or both hands, to make themselves standout more in the photos. Think of it like the Superman — or Superwoman — pose of power. Some girls also do this stance because they don’t know what else to do with their hands. Either way, it’s so culturally excepted that it’s now done subconsciously.
Related Link:Â Robin Thicke Takes Son to Disneyland Before Split with Wife
Photo 2: Here, the couple is at the Clive Davis and Recording Academy’s Pre-Grammys Party on January 25, 2014. Both Thicke and Patton look very comfortable together, and she’s genuinely smiling this time. As you may recall from my previous posts, the following signs indicate a real smile: The corner of  her lips are raised; her teeth are showing; there’s wrinkling at the corner of her eyes (called crow’s feet); and she has puffed cheeks.
But one thing is still missing. Although the couple look like they’re mirroring each other’s body language (a sign of flirting and interest) with their faces, their bodies don’t follow suit. For instance, there should be some sort of touching with their outside hands. Instead, we see Patton’s typical hand on her hip and Thicke’s hand in his pocket. This lack of touch tells me that, while she may be laughing and he might be leaning in, things are still not the same between them.
On the other hand, it also tells me that there’s still attraction between them. Thicke is indicating that he wants to get close to Patton both emotionally and physically, which makes sense seeing as he’s publicly tried to win Patton’s heart back in the past week or so.
Related Link:Â Celebrity Couple Predictions: Paula Patton, Miley Cyrus and Catherine Zeta-Jones
Photo 3: Both the singer and actress were rocking their typical poses at the Baggage Claim premiere on September 25, 2013. This photo is more generic than the previous two though; they’re just posing for the cameras. The only thing worth noting is that Patton’s head is tilted towards Thicke, which is a sign of affection.
I think it’s a bit ironic that they’re posing in front of a sign for the film, as both of them have some baggage that they need to claim. Based on these three photos, I can tell you that Thicke is still very much in love with Patton (a feeling that he’s confirmed) and that Patton is still in love with Thicke. I believe that they’ll get back together, but I am sure that Patton will create some guidelines (like no more twerking with Miley Cyrus).
If I could wrap up their relationship in two sentences, I’d say:Â Thicke was famous first; he found fame and then let the fame go to his head. Reality quickly set in though, and now he understands that being famous can’t give you the same thing as love.
Jared Sais is co-author of the website www.nonverbalgame.com/, where you can find free downloadable content. He is an expert in non-verbal communication, who specializes in body language, micro-expressions and lie deception as they relate to life and love.
