Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan announced their separation after nine years of marriage today, so why not make the tears flow into your cereal a little easier with a look back at their relationship timeline? From meeting on the set of Step Up to the birth of their daughter Everly (via lots and lots of red carpet appearances), Channing and Jenna's 13 year history will probably make you a little emotional.
Early 2006
Channing and Jenna meet on the set of Step Up when they’re cast as the lead roles – her character is a high school dancer, his is doing community service at her school.
In 2013, Channing told Elle he very nearly didn’t ask Jenna out, commenting: 'I had just gotten out of a pretty long relationship, so I was in no way ready for another. I was trying to run from what I knew Jenna was — not someone I was just going to date.'
One of his friends talked him into taking the plunge, and 'that night I showed up at her hotel room with a sombrero on, and that was it.'
In December 2016, Jenna recalled her side of the story, telling Cosmopolitan: 'It was two nights of being weird. We hadn’t even kissed. And then he went out partying with a bunch of dancers. His room was right above mine, and he came down drunk with a sombrero on, banging on my door. He was like, "I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Let’s do this. I just want to be with you." From that point forward, we were together.'
January 2006
The pair looked cosy at the Sundance Film Festival, amid speculation at the time they were dating.
August 2006
The pair were officially a thing by now, and weren't afraid to show it at the Los Angeles premiere of Step Up.
February 2007
Six months later, they were photographed again at Giorgio Armani’s Oscars party.
July 2007
By this point, they were fast becoming Hollywood's hottest power couple, and went on holiday together at the Grand Opening of Cain at Cove Atlantis in Bahamas.
August 2008
Just weeks before their engagement, Channing and Tatum larked around on the Teen Choice Awards red carpet in LA.
September 2008
People report that Channing and Jenna are engaged after he pops the question in Maui in front of a number of their friends who he had reportedly invited to watch on the sly. He proposed with a ring by Neil Lane.
July 2009
Channing and Jenna tie the knot in an outdoor fairytale themed wedding on a private estate in Malibu. Celebrity guests included Emmanuelle Chriqui as maid of honour and Haylie Duff as a bridesmaid.
August 2009
The pair attend a special LA screening of G.I. Joe: The Rise of The Cobra in their first public appearance as a married couple.
January 2010
The pair look glam at the Art of Elysium's 3rd Annual Black Tie Charity Gala.
February 2010
The pair attend the Dear John premiere in LA.
Alongside Reid Carolin, Adam Martingano and Brett Rodriguez, Jenna and Channing set up production company 33andOut Productions. Their first project is documentary Earth Made of Glass, which was selected to premiere at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival.
July 2010
Jenna and Channing are papped on holiday in Italy with friends.
January 2011
At The Dilemma premiere on the red carpet.
September 2011
At the premiere of Ten Year at Toronto International Film Festival.
December 2011
Yep, they bloody love a film premiere. Here they are on the red carpet of Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour.
January 2012
You guessed it, the couple kicked off the new year with yet another public appearance on a red carpet - this time at the Haywire premiere, before looking bloody delightful at the Golden Globes later that month.
February 2012
More Channing Tatum movies means more film premieres - this time for The Vow in February 2012, followed by 21 Jump Street in March.
March 2012
April 2012
It was sexy dancing galore in aid of the Revlon concert for the Rainforest Fund in New York City.
June 2012
Shall we just rename this whole thing 'every single time Channing and Jenna attended a film premiere together'? This time it's Magic Mike.
December 2012
Channing’s representative confirmed to People magazine that the pair were expecting their first baby, HOORAY. They said: 'Jenna Dewan-Tatum and Channing Tatum are pleased to announce that they are expecting the birth of their first child next year.'
Jenna's representative later confirmed the news on Instagram with a photo from the VH-1 Divas red carpet, writing: 'Incredible news!!! Two amazingly beautiful souls are about to bring another beautiful soul into this world! CONGRATS to@ChanningTatumUnwrapped and #JennaDewan on expecting their first little munchkin! :-D'
February 2013
Jenna debuts her baby bump on the Oscars red carpet, much to Channing's clear delight.
4 June 2013
A message pops up on Channing Tatum's official website announcing the happy and healthy birth of their baby daughter, along with her cute name.
'Jenna Dewan-Tatum and Channing Tatum are thrilled to announce the birth of their daughter, Everly Tatum, who was born on May 31st in London,' the message said. 'Sending love and light to Chan, Jenna and Ms. Everly!'
16 June 2013
Everly makes her Instagram debut, along with the caption: "First Father's Day with our lil angel!"
September 2013
Jenna says Channing is a great 'on-set husband' as she film's Witches of East End, telling ET Canada: 'He is getting really good at being the set husband — that’s what I call him. He’s in the trailer, he’s rocking her to sleep, I’m running back and forth breastfeeding,' Dewan-Tatum says.
'He’s been amazing — every chance he gets he’s here. He’s like, "I could sit here and be set husband all day long. This is so fun!"'
January 2014
It's the 71st Golden Globe awards, and Channing and Jenna are looking gorgeous on the red carpet as usual.
February 2014
'We make sure we get good date nights,' Jenna told Us Weekly magazine about how they keep the relationship working. 'You've got to get out and be around adults, and not be speaking in a baby voice all day long - just for your own sanity!'
March 2014
At the 86th Oscar awards:
April 2014
At the MTV Movie Awards:
June 2014
The pair celebrate Everly's first birthday, and attend the 22 Jump Street premiere in LA.
July 2014
Fifth wedding anniversary alert!
October 2014
Channing makes everyone's life when he reveals he and Jenna have daily dance-offs during a Q&A with Redbook, commenting: 'When we wake up in the morning, we put on music, and while Everly's eating we dance and it just starts to get stupid. Changing the baby is an intermission—but our daughter hates getting her diaper changed, so it's almost like a break-dancing battle to get it on her. As soon as you lay her down, she's bridging out of it and doing some jujitsu windmill. It's pretty intense.'
December 2014
Jenna made Channing get a pedicure to celebrate her birthday, and we're considering getting this photo painted in our living room.
January 2015
Channing and Tatum give dream couple a whole new meaning when they're photographed dancing together backstage at the Golden Globes.
February 2015
This time round they're at the Oscars, and this is potentially our favourite red carpet look of the lot.
June 2015
Did someone say Magic Mike XXL premiere?
July 2015
Channing opens up to Vanity Fair about what an amazing mother Jenna is. He says:
'We like to think of ourselves as big, strong men, and we could handle whatever situation. And reality is [that women] are so much stronger than we could ever be. There's a reason why we weren't given that job, evolutionary or whatever. My wife, she's a warrior. She did it as natural as you can. [As a man], you're basically a cheerleader. 'Come on, baby. You can do it.' I would've tapped out in the first.
'Jenna is a super mum. There's no other way to say it. She is there every single second, every single day. I love being a dad. They're like little mirrors running around. They show you things about yourself you wouldn't pay attention to before. Jenna says it all the time: 'Oh, my God, that is so you right there.' But I don't know if I'm good at it.'
October 2016
Did someone say Halloween?
January 2016
Channing and Jenna take part in a Lip Sync Battle against each other, and we're not joking when we say it may well be the most iconic one ever to go down. Ever. Beyonce was there, Jenna gave Magic Mike XXL a run for its money and yeah, it was incredible.
January 2016
Not one to miss out on an award ceremony, the pair were pictured on the Golden Globes red carpet looking lovely as usual.
February 2016
Jenna told Ellen DeGeneres about the adorable Valentine's Day surprise Channing created for her, commenting: 'I come home and I walk in I come back from set and I was like, what is going on? There was like things in the kitchen, that was weird. And then I was like, wait, there's roses! And he put roses all the way up to the [bed]room which was so sweet.'
May 2016
Channing posts absolutely adorable Mother's Day message to Jenna on Instagram, writing about her 'deep strength" and 'other worldly grace' while fangirling over 'the beautiful, sexy, funny, flawed creature I fell in love with'. Swoon.
August 2016
The pair recreate the infamous Step Up dance lift to celebrate 10 years since the film came out - a decade since they met.
November 2016
This time round it's the Variety And WWD Host 2nd Annual StyleMakers Awards.
December 2016
Jenna talks all things sex with Cosmopolitan US, describing physical contact with Channing as 'primal'.
'We definitely have a very happy and healthy [sex life],' she divulged. 'Something about being a dancer connects you to your physical body. It’s primal, earthy, sexual energy by nature. You feel your body in a certain way. Channing is very much the same way,' she said. 'He’s very in tune with that.'
January 2017
Although Channing didn't attend the Golden Globes, he did share a very naked snap of wife Jenna post-party with the caption: 'Nap time = the best time'. Oi oi.
February 2017
The pair pack on the PDA during a holiday in Hawaii. If we didn't love them together so much it probably would've made us feel quite sick.
September 2017
Another day, another red carpet appearance for Jenna and Channing, this time at the premiere for his movie Kingman: The Gold Circle, where they looked divine and like the prom king and queen of your dreams.
December 2017
Channing sends the sweetest birthday message to Jenna, which reads, 'The transformation she invoked this year has been something they only write about in books of fairytale and magic. Your strength and grace ever evolving. By doing so you make everything around you grow- everything. And I am so very grateful for your lessons. Happy life day my life. #leica.'
March 2018
Jenna and Channing take their daughter Everly, 4, to her first red carpet at the Kids' Choice Awards, where she watches her dad present an award. Cute!
April 2018
Nooooo. Channing and Jenna announce their separation after nine years of marriage with a joint statement on Instagram. WE'RE EMOTIONAL. It reads,
'Hey world! So…We have something we would like to share. First off, it feels odd that we have to share this kind of thing with everyone, but it’s a consequence of the lives we’ve chosen to lead, which we also happen to be deeply grateful for. We’re living in an incredible moment in time, but it’s also a time where truth can easily get distorted into “alternative facts” 😉 So we want to share the truth so you know that if you didn’t read it here then it’s most certainly fiction. 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. 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. Sending lots of love to everyone, Chan&Jenna. [sic]'
RIP love.
Dusty Baxter-Wright is an award-winning journalist and the Entertainment Editor at Cosmopolitan, having previously worked at Sugarscape. She was named one of PPA’s 30 Under 30 for her work covering pop culture, careers, interiors and travel, and oversees the site’s Entertainment and Lifestyle strategy across print, digital and video. As a journalist for the best part of a decade, she has interviewed everyone from Louis Theroux and Channing Tatum to Margot Robbie and Ncuti Gatwa, while she has also spoken on Times Radio and BBC Radio. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram here.