Channing Tatum is writing a romance novel—yes, you read that right, a romance novel. The 42-year-old is no stranger to the romantic scene after playing many a love interest in some of film history's sappiest love stories, like Dear John and The Vow. Actor, dancer, director, and writer—what can't he do?
This isn't Tatum's first experience with publishing a book. In 2021, Tatum released a picture book for children, The One and Only Sparkella, inspired by his daughter, Everly, whom he shares with ex-wife Jenna Dewan. The book aims to teach children how to embrace their individuality and improve their self-esteem. Since its 2021 release, Tatum has expanded the Sparkella universe and has created two more books, the most recent slated to release May 30. The success of Tatum's picture books has given him a taste of publishing and he's ready to take it to the next level by working on a romance novel alongside (former Glamour contributor) Roxane Gay.
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In an interview with Vanity Fair published January 17, Tatum dropped the news without pretense and shared how their partnership came to be. After a hilarious exchange (Gay wrote that she wanted to “hug every part of him with my mouth”), the two got to talking and Gay shared a half-written outline of a story she wanted to tell. "She has almost a roughed-out outline of a story that we both love. We just got to find time to do it,” he said. As it turns out, they have actually been in talks since 2017.
Gay, famously known for her poignant work such as Bad Feminist and Not That Bad, shared with The Advocate how the pair linked up. “[Gay's agent] said, ‘Channing Tatum wants to work on a project with you.’ I thought my friends were playing a joke on me. And so things proceeded, and then she gave me an address and said, ‘Go here at such and such time.’” To Gay's surprise, none of it was a joke and Tatum really did want to work on a project with her.
Tatum charmed Gay in a way she wasn't expecting: “For whatever reason, he is intimately aware of his privilege. He doesn’t apologize for it, which is, frankly, refreshing. Like, you’re an absurdly attractive famous wealthy white man. Please don’t pretend that isn’t great. But he treats people well.” Details on the who, what, and where of their project remain unknown, but they are definitely up to something.
Channing Tatum has unique experience playing the kind of person that's easy to fall in love with, so writing a romance novel feels like a perfect fit. Coupled with Gay's magic touch, they are sure to tell a story that will pull at our heartstrings and leave us wanting more. In the meantime, Tatum is busy with promoting the upcoming drop of Magic Mike's Last Dance, which hits theaters on February 10.