Many people were heartbroken when they heard the news that Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan were splitting in 2018 after nine years of marriage.
The two first met on the set of Step Up in 2006, and the world saw them as a bubbly and happy couple.
What we didn't know, however, was that the two had been growing apart for years.
Tatum recently opened up about his divorce in an interview with Vanity Fair:
\u201cChanning Tatum is bringing back the magic. \n\nAfter a lengthy hiatus, the actor is back to complete the \u2018Magic Mike\u2019 trilogy. For VF\u2019s February issue, the star opens up about returning to the spotlight, moving on from divorce, and, yes, Zo\u00eb Kravitz. \n\n\ud83d\udd17: https://t.co/CnIN37OVfy\u201d— VANITY FAIR (@VANITY FAIR) 1673960468
He revealed that he and Dewan "fought" the split for "a really long time, even though we both sort of knew that we had sort of grown apart."
The Magic Mike's Last Dance star explained:
"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."
Tatum continued:
"But when you're actually parents, 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 Bullet Train actor also opened up about his experience after the divorce, saying that at first it was "super scary and terrifying."
"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 like, 'Oh, sh*t. What now?'"
Many on social media chimed in and agreed with Tatum on many aspects of his statements.
Marriage isn't easy, and people often change throughout the course of a relationship and realize their values and priorities are different.
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While the transition was of course difficult, Tatum believed that 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."
He continued:
"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."
"Because in the alone time that I have with just me and her, we've become best friends."
You can catch Tatum in theaters next month as he reprises his role as Mike for the third and final time in Magic Mike's Last Dance.