Paula Patton is cheerful as she is joined by male pal while taking son to Malibu Farmers' Market amid ferocious custody battle with ex Robin Thicke

Paula Patton was spotted taking her son Julian Thicke for a bit of shopping at the Malibu Farmers' Market over the weekend.

They were accompanied by a man who appeared to be a friend of Patton's, as well as by another child.

The 41-year-old actress seemed in good spirits, despite having been entangled in a rancorous child custody battle against her ex-husband Robin Thicke.

Checking out the produce: Paula Patton was spotted on Sunday taking her son Julian Thicke for a bit of shopping at the Malibu Farmers' Market

Ready for an omelette: She smiled as she perused the selection of eggs, ultimately getting a full egg box

For her Sunday outing, she'd put on a blue and white baseball cap and a stylish pink bomber jacket with purple trim.

Her torn, faded jeans accented her toned legs, and a pair of what looked like white tigers were depicted on her T-shirt.

The Mission: Impossible vet smiled as she perused the selection of eggs, and bent to be level with her son as the children had a look at some of the produce.

 Casual chic: For her Sunday outing, she'd popped on a blue and white baseball cap and a stylish pink bomber jacket with purple trim

Last Thursday, in court documents filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, Patton alleged that her six-year-old's claimed his father struck him.

As DailyMail.com reported, her declaration held that 'On January 2, 2017, the day before Julian was to return to school from Christmas Break, Julian told my mother and me that when Respondent spanked him it was really hard.'

She went on that 'We asked him to show us how hard, and I asked him to hit me on my back. Julian hit me very hard and I said, ow. Julian said it was worse than that.'

All smiles: The 41-year-old seemed in good spirits, despite being enmeshed in an increasingly rancorous child custody battle against her ex-husband Robin Thicke

Patton wrote that she 'then told Julian I could not keep this secret anymore and that I have to protect him,' saying her 'concerns culminated' two days after this episode.

The alleged final straw was when 'Julian's school called Department of Child and Family Services to report what they believed to be credible allegations of abuse from Julian against [Thicke],' per Patton's declaration.

An employee from the school's also submitted a declaration, explaining that the school had turned to DCFS because Julian had said his father 'punches' him.

Quartet: They'd been accompanied by a man who appeared to be a friend of Patton's, as well as by another child who ambled along near Julian

The 39-year-old's declaration insisted that 'On a very rare occasion and only as a last resort, I will use light spanking, but it is consistent with the law - open hand on the butt.'

He's also claimed Patton's allegations were a vengeful response to the fact she'd been banned from her former father-in-law Alan Thicke's funeral in December.

Last Thursday, the judge veered in favour of Thicke, denying Patton's request for an emergency order that would've given her custody.

Julian remained at his mother's home, and on Friday, Thicke arrived there with L.A. County Sherriff's deputies in a bid to retrieve him, according to TMZ.

Showing what she's got: Her torn, faded jeans accented her toned legs, and a pair of what appeared to be white tigers were depicted on her T-shirt

Julian, however, apparently wanted to remain with Patton, telling deputies who'd entered the residence that he was afraid of his father.

In video the website have posted, the deputies indicate they won't be taking the child from his mother, in light of Julian's reticence to go.

A source claimed the onetime couple were, in TMZ's words, 'now close to reaching some middle ground on how to deal with the custody issues.' 

Having dated since they were teenagers, Thicke and Patton married in 2005. In October 2014, after a months-long separation, she filed for a divorce that wound up being finalised the following year.

The way they were: Having dated since they were teenagers, Thicke and Patton married in 2005 and divorced in 2015. Pictured 2014

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