Channing Tatum isn’t afraid to get in touch with his feelings. In fact, The Lost City actor is getting real about his divorce from Jenna Dewan, and it’s super refreshing.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Tatum opened up about his relationship with Dewan, why they split, and all the feelings he experienced during and after their divorce. Turns out, the Magic Mike actor learned from his experience, even though it was difficult to do so during the divorce.
The Couple Split After Welcoming Their Daughter
Tatum and Dewan met back in 2006 when they both starred in the dance movie Step Up. Although their relationship reflected the movie plot of a professional dancer and a rough street dancer, their off-screen relationship took a toll on both of them.
“We fought for [our relationship] for a really long time, even though we both sort of knew that we had sort of grown apart,” Tatum admitted. “I think we 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.”
Becoming parents to Everly Elizabeth Maiselle Tatum, now 9, showed the ex-couple that they weren’t meant for each other. “When you’re actually parents,” Tatum remarked, “you really understand differences between the two of you. Because it is screaming at you all day long. How you parent differently, how you look at the world, how you go through the world.”
The Split Helped Tatum Get In Touch With His Feelings
Once Tatum and Dewan decided to stop going through the world together, the actor got in touch with his feelings. “It was super scary and terrifying,” he shared. “Your life just turns on its axis. This whole plan that you had literally just turns into sand and goes through your fingers and you’re just like, ‘Oh, sh*t. What now?’”
It’s a familiar experience for anyone going through a divorce. Most people are scared in the beginning and have a difficult time facing a new way of life. But just as Tatum described, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
“It was probably exactly what I needed. I don’t think I would’ve ever done the work, I think, on myself in the way that I had to do the work on myself to really try to figure out what next. And really, it just started with my daughter. I just dropped everything and just focused on her. And it was truly the best possible thing that I ever could have done.”
While divorce and other major life changes can be scary, it’s refreshing to see celebrities like Tatum getting in touch with their feelings. We can all take a lesson from the actor and do what’s right for us, even if we’re scared.