How Channing Tatum Feels About Being A Single Dad
After Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan announced their divorce in 2018, the former Step Up co-stars decided to evenly split custody of their daughter. Now Tatum has opened up about his experiences as a single dad — and why he's happy to wear a tutu for his little girl.
Tatum and Dewan, who were together for almost 10 years, welcomed daughter Everly to the world in May 2013 during a trip to London, per People. In 2020, Tatum announced on Instagram that he had written a children's book, The One and Only Sparkella, for Everly during the COVID-19 lockdown. "I ended up accidentally locking myself in my 7-year-old daughter's room. And I ended up finding my inner child," the actor wrote. "So this is what I created for my little girl. From what is, I guess, the little girl in me."
As People reported, the picture book is dedicated to his daughter, who Tatum calls "the most brilliant magical being that I have ever known" and his "greatest teacher" in a touching inscription. "My only wish is for more time in this life to play in all of the magical realms we have created," the book's dedication continues. "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."
As Tatum admitted in a new interview, he had to overcome his own fears about being a dad to a little girl.
Channing Tatum had 'a lot of fear' about being a single dad to his daughter
Speaking to Parents in April 2021, Channing Tatum shared how he learned to "jump with both feet" into parenting his daughter. "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," the 21 Jump Street star admitted, confessing that he previously didn't wear nail polish or know how to braid hair. "But now, I do both," Tatum revealed. "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."
The actor spoke candidly about the reason he wrote a picture book embracing the interests of his daughter, who he described as "bold, beautiful, and magical in every way." Tatum told Parents that he wants dads "not to be afraid to go into their daughter's world and discover who they are," adding, "I paint my face, I wear tutus — rarely am I around the house without some sort of costume on."
Tatum also described the process of writing The One and Only Sparkella and how he was inspired by the "five books per night" he and Everly usually get through. "We played a lot in her room over quarantine, and it helped flesh out the story," he shared.