Mummy's boy: Christina Aguilera picks up son Max from pre-school in Santa Monica todayChristina Aguilera burst out from under the shadow of scandal she's been living beneath to enjoy the Californian sunshine with her son Max today - as she played the role of doting mother with conviction.
The Burlesque star, 30 , even managed some friendly conversation with estranged husband Jordan Bratman, 33, as he handed over the three-year-old's toys and chair after dropping him off at the Santa Monica pre-school.
It created a startlingly different vignette from the images currently associated with the Ain't No Other Man singer.
Playful: Young Max sticks out his tongue at photographers as his mother carries him into their carHer toy-boy boyfriend she was arrested with in West Hollywood on suspicion of DUI and public intoxication, was nowhere to be seen today.
She was later cleared and released while Matt Rutler, who had been driving, was charged and only discharged with $30,000 bail.
Aguilera met the 25-year-old production assistant on the set of Burlesque last year, and has seen her reputation plummet since they made their relationship official in November last year.
Single parent: Max's dad, record producer Jordan Bratman, had dropped the three-year-old off at pre-school earlier in the day
Bright and breezy: The singer gave herself a boost with a push-up bra It has been claimed that they had already been dating for some months, but Aguilera only filed for divorce from Bratman in October, citing 'irreconcilable differences.'
It's been downhill from there on in, with performances at the Grammys and the Super Bowl lambasted - the latter saw her forget the words to the National Anthem - and course that arrest.
The mugshot of Aguilera that finally made it's way into the public domain was terrifying in itself but then the tales of drug excess and a terrible dependence on alcohol began to circulate.
Copy cat: Christina was joined by a friend and the pair wore matching sandals 
Parent swap: The singer's ex Jordan Bratman was also pictured at the school as the former couple swapped child care duties source: dailymail
