It seems like only yesterday when Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan announced their plans to separate. The two of them seemed like a Hollywood power couple, and the news hit most by surprise. But it seems as if they're still both working together to provide the best for their 7-year-old daughter, Everly.
The two first met back in 2005, on the set of the film Step Up. They seemed very much in love throughout the years, eventually marrying and having baby Everly on May 31, 2013. In 2018, they posted a statement that seemed too shocking to be true. They said that while they still loved each other very much, it was time to separate.
"We fell deeply in love so many years ago and have had a magical journey together," their statement revealed. "Absolutely nothing has changed about how much we love one another, but love is a beautiful adventure that is taking us on different paths for now. There are no secrets nor salacious events at the root of our decision — just two best-friends realizing it’s time to take some space and help each other live the most joyous, fulfilled lives as possible. We are still a family and will always be loving dedicated parents to Everly."
Now Channing is admitting that becoming a single parent was a lot harder than he realized.
Channing revealed that single fatherhood has had its fair share of difficulties. For one, he didn't know how to form a special bond with his daughter and get on her level. Bonding with Everly one-on-one actually inspired him to write a children's book and live life in ways he never really imagined.
"I paint my face, I wear tutus — rarely am I around the house without some sort of costume on," he told Parents. But it took him some time to fully get there. "When I became a single father, I had a lot of fear about connecting to Everly in every way that a little girl might want," he explained.
Even though he surely still has Jenna to help, he also had a relationship with singer Jessie J between 2018 and 2020. While the two seem to have called things off, surely she was able to make Channing feel less "single" at times. Now he doesn't have any active relationships that fans know about.
But in a way, it's good that he's now more present than ever for Everly. "I didn't wear nail polish or know how to braid hair," he said. "But now I do both. I jumped with both feet into this magical world, and I was rewarded with a kind of love that I don't think I would have ever been able to have otherwise."
"I want dads not to be afraid to go into their daughter's world and discover who they are," he continued. It seems as if Channing let his guard down and realized that Everly's world is actually a lot of fun. The two grew together, and now they know how to bond without mom around.
The book seemed to even surprise Channing. On Instagram, posing in costume, he wrote, "I ended up accidentally locking myself in my 7 year old daughter's room. And I ended up finding my inner child. So this is what I created for my little girl. From what is, I guess, the little girl in me. Thanks for reading."
It should come as no surprise, but reading is also a great activity that Channing and Everly do together. "We usually get to five books per night," he told Parents. "I'll read one, and then she'll read one, and so forth. One of our long-standing favorites is the wordless picture book The Farmer and the Clown, by Marla Frazee."
Channing seems to embrace the imagination aspect of reading. "You can make up whatever story you like; we sometimes get really wild with it!" he said. "We've recently discovered Red: A Crayon's Story, by Michael Hall. The red crayon is blue. No one knows what's wrong with him and why he can't just be red the whole time until someone just accepts him and loves him for all of his blueness."
Even back when Everly was only 2 and Channing was still married, he prioritized his family over his career. Back then, he told People magazine that now he considered how much time projects would force him to be away from his family. "Having a family and a little girl, it really makes things super clear," he said.
"The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning? I check to see if my daughter is still sleeping," he said with a laugh. So, while he had already morphed into a family guy and a loving father, he likely didn't realize that he was getting himself ready for the single-dad role all along.
When it came to a custody agreement, Channing also didn't shy away from asking for equal time. According to The Blast, he stated, "In my opinion and experience, Everly has appeared to adjust to our separation and living in two homes exceptionally well. I believe that she will thrive even more with structure and consistency because she is happy and more relaxed when she knows a plan." He was hoping to get Everly on Mondays and Tuesdays, and every other weekend.
While Channing and Jenna chose to keep many photos of Everly private, they've opened up slightly more as the years have gone on. Right around the time when they announced their split, Jenna had taken Everly to the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, which must have been a lot of fun.
Jenna has expanded the family after getting divorced from Channing. She's currently engaged to actor and singer Steve Kazee. The couple share a little boy named Callum, who is Everly's half-brother. It's unclear as to whether or not Channing wants more children — but he did say he thought three would be a good number before Everly was born.
These days, he seems happily focused on one. He's proof that dads and daughters can find wonderful ways to bond and have fun. If Channing Tatum can openly wear a tutu and have fun, anyone can. With his book coming out, he's really created something that Everly can cherish forever.
