Robin Thicke's representatives have dismissed tabloid reports that the Blurred Lines singer once dated Britney Spears before asking actress Paula Patton to marry him.

Sources tell In Touch magazine that Thicke secretly dated the Toxic hitmaker a decade ago (03), months before Spears wed Jason Alexander in Las Vegas in 2004 - and a year before he made childhood sweetheart Patton his wife (05).

An insider tells the publication, "He was trying hard to develop a reputation as a hot, young singer, and Britney was the biggest thing in showbusiness. They started hooking up."

According to the source, the romance began when Thicke and Spears were working on a project that was never released back in 2003, shortly after the pop star split from Justin Timberlake.

Thicke's reps have denied the story.