He's a Proud Girl Dad! Everything You Need to Know About Channing Tatum as a Father

When he's not Magic Mike, he's just Dad.

Channing Tatum not only wears costumes on the silver screen as one of Hollywood's biggest stars, most recently in Magic Mike: The Last Dance, Dog and The Lost City. At home, he also loves to dress up for some quality dad-daughter playtime with his 9-year-old, Everly. "I paint my face, I wear tutus—rarely am I around the house without some sort of costume on," the She's the Man actor confessed to Parents in 2021.

While Tatum had admitted in the past that he was initially "pretty nervous" about being a girl dad, he now boasts that it's become his "biggest role."

“I don't think I ever really over-thought being a dad. I thought that it was going to be this fun thing, I was going to get her into more trouble than I got her out of," Tatum told Forbes. "But as Evie started to grow up, I was really shocked at like how much I was having to actually draw boundaries and still keep the fun. It was teaching me things as well."

He added, "She's probably not only my biggest role but my biggest teacher. I took a long time off, I took almost four years off just to be with her and be a dad and to figure out how to do that. I was working a lot in my first two years and I really just wanted to give more time and have more time with her and make sure I establish a really deep connection with her before I started working again."

Get to know Tatum's little girl, plus find out what the proud girl dad has said about now being a single father.

Related: 5 Things You Didn't Know About Channing Tatum

Who was Channing Tatum married to?

In 2009, Tatum married Jenna Dewan, whom he met on the set of their 2006 movie Step Up.

Below, see Dewan with Everly at the 2018 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.

When did Channing Tatum become a father?

The Magic Mike star welcomed his first (and, as of 2023, still only) child, daughter Everly, with his then-wife Dewan in 2013.

In his dedication for the children's book he published in May 2021, The One and Only Sparkella, Tatum called his little girl (via PEOPLE) "the most brilliant magical being" he's ever known and his "greatest teacher."

Is Channing Tatum still married?

After nearly nine years of marriage, Tatum and Dewan announced in April 2018 that they were separating. "We have lovingly chosen to separate as a couple. We fell deeply in love so many years ago and have had a magical journey together. 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," the Hollywood stars said in a joint statement at the time.

They continued, "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. We won’t be commenting beyond this, and we thank you all in advance for respecting our family’s privacy.

Tatum and Dewan finalized their divorce in 2019. The actress has since gotten engaged to Steve Kazee, welcoming son Callum with the Tony-winning actor in 2020.

Related: Channing Tatum: 'I've Been Dumped More Times Than I Care to Remember'

What has Channing Tatum said about being a single father?

Tatum admitted to PEOPLE in 2021 that he was "really nervous" when he became a single dad. "Having to raise a little girl, not being able to have the resource of a woman there to be able to lean into how to relate to her as she grows up. I literally went to YouTube and learned how to braid hair," The Vow star said.

Related: Jenna Dewan’s Fitness Routine Involves 'Saving Mermaids'

Speaking to Parents in 2021, the dad of one encouraged fellow fathers to not "be afraid to go into their daughter's world and discover who they are." "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. I didn't wear nail polish or know how to braid hair. But now I do both," Tatum shared. "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."

What is Channing Tatum's kids' book?

Tatum wrote The One and Only Sparkella—which has already become a New York Times bestseller—as an ode to Everly and their special bond.

"The One and Only Sparkella was inspired by my relationship with my daughter and trying to figure out as a single dad how to connect to her," he told Amazon. He also hinted that a Sparkella sequel may be in the works, in which Sparkella and her dad will be "solving more of life’s problems by letting their light sparkle and being more themselves. AKA: Shenanigans."

In May 2022, he revealed that Sparkella would be adapted into a live-action movie.

Next, check out 77 of the best dad songs!