Channing Tatum, who has always been open about fatherhood, recently confessed to the emotional challenges of raising his daughter. The Channing Tatum Says Sometimes He Can’t Be The ‘Superman’ His Kid Needs first appeared on The Blast

Channing Tatum is opening up about the demands of fatherhood!

The actor admitted that being honest with his daughter about his own struggles can be difficult, as he also continues to involve her in major decisions about his demanding career.

Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan welcomed Everly in May 2013 before separating in 2018. Their divorce was finalized in September 2024, with the former couple agreeing to share joint custody. Their daughter is now 13, and Tatum has become increasingly open about how parenting has changed him. 

Channing Tatum Admits Fatherhood Is ‘Really Tough’

Tatum recently opened up about the emotional challenges of raising his daughter, Everly. He explained that one of the hardest things is admitting to a child that he is not okay. “It’s a really tough thing to tell the little being that you love more than anything in the world that you’re actually not okay,” Tatum said.

The actor shared that he once had a moment with Everly when he was hurt and told her he was not okay. He admitted that parents can want to be like “Superman” for their children, even when they cannot always be that strong.

The experience showed him that fatherhood also means allowing children to see their parents as human. During a Q&A following a screening of “Josephine” at the Toronto International Film Festival, Tatum discussed the emotional challenge.

US Magazine reported that he connected the experience to his relationship with Everly and the realities of parenting. Tatum has increasingly spoken about looking at himself and the way he communicates with his daughter. 

The Actor’s Daughter Has Changed How He Sees Parenting

“Josephine” stars Mason Reeves as an eight-year-old girl who witnesses a crime and begins acting violently. Tatum and Gemma Chan play her parents as they search for justice while dealing with their daughter’s trauma. The film won both the Grand Jury and Audience Awards at Sundance after debuting there in February.

Tatum admitted that the movie made him think about his own child and his own childhood. He previously said he cried “five, six, seven times” during the Sundance screening.

One scene in which Josephine looks through a window and draws particularly moved him. He said having a daughter has changed how he sees himself, how he parents, and how he communicates.

The film’s difficult subjects also made him proud to be part of something he considered artistically powerful. His experience with Everly has become part of that reflection.

Tatum has learned that parenting isn’t only about protecting a child, but also about understanding how they receive what he says. That lesson appears to be influencing how he approaches fatherhood as she gets older.

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Channing Tatum’s Career Has Become A ‘Constant Negotiation‘

Tatum has also admitted that his career creates difficult choices at home. Major movie roles can mean spending weeks or months away from Everly. That makes accepting work a decision that affects more than just his professional life.

During an appearance on “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” Tatum described balancing his career with fatherhood as a “constant negotiation.” The actor explained that he was considering a movie in Australia. He knew accepting it could mean not seeing his daughter for almost two months.

He had already faced a similar situation when “Roofman” was filmed in North Carolina. “Avengers: Doomsday” was also set to be filmed in London, raising similar concerns.

The “Magic Mike” star said he also had concerns about missing the beginning of Everly’s middle school experience. PEOPLE reported that he discussed the decision with his daughter instead of making it entirely on his own. He wanted her to feel included because the decision would affect their time together.

Surprisingly, Everly told her father that he should go and do the movie. Tatum said her response moved him because he wants her involved in major decisions that affect their family. 

Becoming A Single Dad Was Once Frightening

Tatum did not always feel confident about raising Everly. He previously admitted that he was afraid of becoming a father. He also worried he wouldn’t become the kind of father he wanted to be. Business Insider shared that Tatum discussed those fears in a June 2022 interview with Fatherly. 

At the time, Everly was nine, and he admitted he was unsure how to raise a “strong little girl” because she was very different from him. Tatum said Everly was “born contrarian,” which pushed him to find another way to connect with her.

Tatum described her imagination as something he could engage with rather than fight against. He said that approach helped him understand her better. His experiences eventually inspired his first children’s book, “The One and Only Sparkella.”

The actor also described writing the books as a way to get specific about what he had learned. He also said being a child is messy, but becoming a parent is probably even messier.

Channing Tatum’s Growth Between Fatherhood And Divorce

Tatum’s journey as a father has unfolded alongside a difficult divorce from Dewan. The former couple married in 2009 after meeting while working on “Step Up.” Their relationship ended after years together, and they finalized their divorce in 2024.

Their final settlement included a 50/50 split of their Screen Actors Guild–Producers Pension Plan benefits. The agreement calculated their pension credits from their marriage between 2009 and 2018 against their complete career totals.

As reported by The Blast, their divorce battle had also involved disputes over money, custody, and Tatum’s “Magic Mike” earnings. The breakup was painful for Tatum, who said he and Dewan are in a better place now.

He recalled that they spent more than a year trying to keep their relationship together before accepting that it was no longer working. He also said the experience forced him to do personal work he might never have done otherwise.

The father of one revealed that he went from fearing he wouldn’t know how to parent his daughter to describing them as “best of friends.”

The Channing Tatum Says Sometimes He Can’t Be The ‘Superman’ His Kid Needs first appeared on The Blast