Channing Tatum Is a Cool Macho Man in Movies, but at Home He’s a Gentle Single Father Who Learned to Braid His Daughter’s Hair

Channing Tatum met actress Jenna Dewan in 2006, during the filming of Step Up. Seven years later, their daughter Everly was born. And five years after that, the couple announced their divorce, deciding that the girl will take turns spending time with her father and mother. Since then, the actor has had to learn how to cope with parental responsibilities on his own.

Before, Tatum worried that he was not spending enough time with his daughter. After her birth, he was spending a lot of time at work. And when he came home, it seemed to him that the girl had managed to grow a little in the 12 to 15 hours of his absence.

The difficulties that the single father faced

When Everly was left solely in her father’s care, he felt uncomfortable at first, as he wasn’t used to it. But he quickly got into his new role and learned to do all the things a little girl’s dad needs to do.

In an interview, the actor said that he quickly learned to braid his daughter’s hair and he can now easily paint her nails. Also Tatum sometimes has to help the young fashionista with the choice of outfits for going out, or for a family occasion.

Tatum believes that being a parent is not an easy task and that you have to learn from your own experience. “I’ve never been more creative in any movie or any creative venture I’ve ever done than I have been with my daughter,” the actor admits.

How Channing Tatum deals with his daughter’s antics

The father always allows the girl’s imagination and creativity to flourish, and occasionally allows her to use him as a model. Once, 7-year-old Everly gave the actor a makeover in her own style; she put fancy hairclips in his hair and painted his nails — without worrying about getting paint on his fingers, either.

Tatum posted a video of the process on his Instagram page, captioning it “Magical makeover.”

Tatum then decided to start the #IAmSparkella Challenge and invited his subscribers to share similar videos.

The origin of Sparkella, and why she may soon be featured in a film

In May 2021, Channing Tatum released The One and Only Sparkella, a book about a father-daughter relationship as they journey together through childhood fantasies.

It was little Everly who inspired Tatum to create Sparkella, a girl who loves all things shiny. “She loves to play tricks, wear crazy outfits, and be different from everyone. She’s bold, beautiful, and magical in every way,” he said in one of his interviews.

Now the actor is planning to make his book into a movie and play a leading role in the film. Who will play the daughter of his character is not yet known.

What Everly thinks of her dad’s work

The girl periodically tells her father that she doesn’t like his films. What’s more, she thinks her dad acts in “fake” movies and sometimes even asks him to change the channel if something of Tatum’s is on TV.

The only exception is the animated musical Smallfoot, where Channing voiced the charming yeti. The actor never expected his daughter to approve of his work, as she’s always liked stories about fairies and princesses. However, Everly’s favorite character was not the yeti Migo, voiced by her father, but his love interest Meechee, voiced by Zendaya.

What important things the actor teaches his daughter

Tatum talks to Everly about inclusion and the importance of caring for people with disabilities. The actor knows first-hand what he’s talking about: as a child, he struggled with dyslexia and ADHD. He now speaks openly about it and supports charities that assist people with developmental disabilities.

In 2022, Channing Tatum was honored at the KultureBall by KultureCity, an organization working with people with sensory needs and invisible disabilities such as PTSD, autism, and dementia.

How Tatum keeps Everly safe

In the autumn of 2020, a new member joined the Tatum family, a Dutch Shepherd named Rook. It wasn’t easy for Channing to get another pet after he lost his devoted friend Lulu. He even dedicated his film Dog to her, which was based on a real trip he took with his dog, whose days were numbered.

But Rook managed to melt Tatum’s heart. “He sought me out and we met eyes and then some imprinting type happened,” laughs the actor.

The dog, now grown, has undergone special training, and Channing says he has no worries about his daughter’s safety. If her father suddenly needs to go away for filming, she will stay at home with a reliable protector.

What does Everly Tatum look like?

The father rarely posts photos of his daughter on his Instagram page. He usually hides her face, showing her only from the back, or blurred in the background. But in the summer of 2021, he decided to post a photo of them together for the first time, with the caption “You my littles are everything! You are my world and my heart.”

Journalists speculated that in this post, the actor was not only addressing Everly, but also actress Zoe Kravitz. At the time, Tatum had just started dating her and had recently introduced her to his daughter.

Do you think it’s easy to raise a child as a single parent? How is Channing Tatum handling this role?