Channing Tatum Reveals His Fear About Being a Single Dad After Jenna Dewan Divorce

In 2018, Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan announced their separation, turning the actor into a single girl dad. Read on for how he tackled his fear and the reward that resulted.

By Samantha Schnurr Apr 05, 2021 8:31 PMTags
Watch: Relive Channing Tatum's Iconic "Dear John" Moments: E! News Rewind

Before Channing Tatum tackled single fatherhood, he had some fear about relating to his only daughter. 

In 2018, the Magic Mike star and his famous ex-wife Jenna Dewan announced their separation after nearly nine years of marriage. Their divorce was later finalized in November 2019. The pair have been co-parenting their only child together, 7-year-old daughter Everly, ever since their initial split. As they vowed in their breakup announcement years ago, "We are still a family and will always be loving dedicated parents to Everly." 

With joint legal and physical custody of their kid, Channing—now the author of a children's picture book, The One and Only Sparkella—faced a new role as a single girl dad in a world where, up until then, he had been a stranger. 

"I want dads not to be afraid to go into their daughter's world and discover who they are," he told Parents. "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."

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Channing Tatum Takes Daughter Everly on Las Vegas Trip

However, much like how he advises fellow girl dads, he dove in. "I didn't wear nail polish or know how to braid hair. But now I do both," he said. "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."

In August 2020, he announced the children's book he had been working on—with a picture of himself dressed up in fairy wings. 

"Guys, I don't know about you but things got a little weird for me in quarantine," he captioned his Instagram post. "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," Channing continued. "From what is, I guess, the little girl in me. Thanks for reading."

He also dedicated his first children's book to his little girl. "My only wish is for more time in this life to play in all of the magical realms we have created," he wrote in the book's dedication, according to People. "This is also for all Dads that might have a little girl…Wear whatever, dance however, and be as magical as you can. Because I promise they will return the love."