Channing Tatum has spoken openly about his divorce from Jenna Dewan, calling the separation “painful” while discussing their current co-parenting situation. The actor, known for films like Magic Mike and Step Up, rarely discusses his personal life but shared honest thoughts in a recent conversation with Variety magazine.
Tatum and Dewan, who met on the set of their 2006 film Step Up, were married for nearly ten years before separating in 2018. Their divorce was finalized in September 2024 after six years of legal proceedings. The former couple shares a 12-year-old daughter, Everly Tatum.
“Jenna and I are good now, but it was a painful break to have that fall apart, especially being so young,” Tatum revealed in the interview. “We tried to keep it together, tried for a year and a half, but we knew it was… Not to go into all that.”
Co-Parenting Challenges
Tatum didn’t hold back when discussing the difficulties of sharing custody of their daughter. The actor expressed how challenging it has been to adjust to not having his daughter with him full-time.
“It’s in the past. But it’s really tough not to have your daughter half the time,” Tatum explained. “I wish I could just have her all the time.”
This isn’t the first time Tatum has addressed the personal growth that came from the divorce. In a 2023 interview with Vanity Fair, he reflected: “I don’t think I would’ve ever done the work on myself in the way that I had to do the work on myself to really try to figure out what’s next.” He added that they had “told ourselves a story when we were young, and we just kept telling ourselves that story, no matter how blatantly life was telling us that we were so different.”
Moving Forward
Both Tatum and Dewan have moved on to new relationships since their separation. Dewan is engaged to Steve Kazee, with whom she shares two children: son Callum (5) and daughter Rhiannon (15 months). Tatum was engaged to Zoë Kravitz for a year before calling off their relationship in October 2024. He is now dating model Inka Williams.
Dewan has also spoken about their divorce, sharing in a January 2024 essay for InStyle: “In 2024, especially, I learned a lot about myself, my resilience, and my voice. I learned to let go of over-accommodating in my relationships and to sit with uncomfortability. What it really means to trust.” She added philosophically: “Sometimes things break because you don’t fit in that vessel anymore, and that’s okay.”
Regarding their co-parenting approach, Dewan told People magazine in June 2024: “You shift and evolve and you adapt to how life is presenting itself to you. That includes getting the new normal of a blended family.”
Professional Projects
Tatum’s recent comments came while promoting his new film Roofman, in which he plays Jeffrey Manchester, a former Army Ranger turned burglar who struggles with being separated from his daughter. Tatum noted that his personal experiences helped him understand his character’s emotions.
The actor will next be seen in Roofman, set to hit theaters on October 10, and has joined the Avengers: Doomsday cast, where he will reprise his role as Gambit.
The former couple’s divorce proceedings included discussions about financial matters, particularly regarding profits from Tatum’s Magic Mike franchise, which began during their marriage. Both parties eventually agreed to joint legal and physical custody of Everly back in February 2020.
Tatum has been candid about the value of therapy during this difficult period, stating: “I don’t care how you grew up! I think everybody needs therapy.”
Despite the challenges, both Tatum and Dewan emphasize that they maintain a good relationship focused on their daughter’s wellbeing. Their journey from Hollywood’s beloved couple to co-parents has been followed by fans since they first announced their separation in 2018 with a joint statement saying there were “no secrets nor salacious events at the root of our decision.”
Also Read: Channing Tatum Explains His Gambit Accent Approach For Avengers Doomsday Movie
Credits: Variety
