Jenna Dewan and Channing Tatum took fans by surprise when they announced their split after
nine years of marriage.
However, Jenna had no idea that she would find love again just a few months after her
divorce from a man she had met several years before.
Sit tight while we take a look at how Jenna got her second chance at love with Steve Kazee
and why it all came around when she least expected it.
Jenna Dewan and Channing Tatum's split in 2018 was heartbreaking for many fans, especially
those who had fallen in love with the couple after their on-screen romance in the first
Step Up film back in 2006.
The pair married in 2009 and welcomed their only daughter, Everly Tatum, four years later.
Unfortunately, after nine years of marriage, the pair announced their divorce in a joint
statement.
They shared that there were "no secrets nor salacious events at the root of our decision."
Rather, they were "just two best-friends realizing it's time to take some space and help each
other live the most joyous, fulfilled lives as possible."
They added that they will forever be a family and "will always be loving, dedicated parents
to Everly."
As for a reason for their split, the former couple didn't shy away from explaining why
they were deciding to part ways.
They explained that sometimes people grow apart, adding that they've had the most "magical
journey together" and nothing has changed about how much they love one another.
"But, love is a beautiful adventure" that is taking them on "different paths for now."
Not long before her split from Channing, during an interview, Jenna shared that she believes
there's no such thing as a picture-perfect relationship.
When she was asked about her marriage to Tatum, she said, "We're not perfect!
Are you kidding?
We fight like other couples; we disagree about things; we have days where we don't really
like each other."
She reiterated that "no one's perfect" and that a successful marriage is all about finding
someone that compliments their partner.
She added, "I think there are such things as great fits.
It is a great fit as long as you are growing together, and I think up until this point
we've really grown together.
Even if one starts to grow, the other catches up and vice versa."
Looking at how she views marriage, it's possible that Jenna and Channing simply grew in different
directions and no longer wanted the same things.
While it's unfortunate, it is a common occurrence in some marriages.
Some couples may be able to work through those differences, but sometimes those differences
are too vast to find common ground on.
The actress added, "I think a couple needs to be conscious and to want to do the work
and be willing to look at the parts of you that need work," she reasoned.
Unfortunately, there are times when putting in the work is no longer beneficial, which
appears to be the very reason behind her divorce from Tatum.
Although Dewan was initially tight-lipped about the reason for her split, she got candid
in her 2019 book, Gracefully You: How to Live Your Best Life Every Day, confessing, "I'd
come to realize the dynamic I was in wasn't serving me nor was it serving my daughter.
First and foremost I had to accept the realization this isn't working and had moved into hurting."
One month after their divorce, Jenna sat down for an interview where she was asked about
being newly single.
She responded, "I feel a sense of joy and freedom and excitement, truly, about a new
chapter in my life.
I feel really open, and I feel hopeful."
However, when she learned that her ex-husband had started dating singer Jessie J, she didn't
prepare for how it would make her feel.
As it turned out, the news felt like a blow, not only because she hadn't expected it but
also because she found out about it on the Internet.
She admitted, "I was learning things about my ex most people wouldn't have to face — and
over the Internet, as it was happening.
There I was, on a plane, alone, finding out about his new relationship.
I felt blindsided."
In October 2018, Jenna started dating Tony-winning Broadway star Steve Kazee, and although it
was only a few months after her split from Tatum, she felt confident in her choice.
Interestingly enough, she and Steve actually crossed paths seven earlier — and he even
met her mother.
Jenna and her mom had gone to see Steve's performance in "Once On Broadway" and were
so blown away by his performance that they couldn't stop crying.
After the show, she and her mother got to meet Steve backstage, although it was a very
brief interaction.
Jenna shared, "Obviously I was married and so we never spoke or saw each other again
for six years, but I never forgot the moment.
And then six years later, obviously it becomes public knowledge that we're separated and
he contacted me."
Steve called Jenna after her divorce and confessed, 'I never forgot meeting you.'
During their initial hours-long phone call, Dewan said there was an "immediate connection"
that only got deeper when they met in person.
She added that their relationship "was truly, completely meant to be."
When she and Steve started getting closer, the actress realized that she was ready for
her next relationship.
Jenna felt as if it was a "cosmically great thing" where they were able to circle back
to one another after all those years.
It was like one of those "stories you hear of seeing someone and feeling an insane remembrance
that just sticks with you."
She added, "Well, I had it happen, despite the odds."
However, she did confess that "I wasn't looking for it.
But it sort of took me by complete storm.
It happened when I least expected it."
She went on to say, "It's okay to move fast if you're following your heart."
And follow her heart she did.
She and Steve wasted no time taking their relationship to the next level after they
started dating.
Just one year later, the couple announced that they were expecting their first child
together.
They shared, "We are beyond overjoyed and couldn't be happier to be expanding our family!"
Putting a piece of his heart on Instagram in September 2019, Steve revealed, "I have
waited my entire life for this moment and couldn't have found a better person to build
a family with.
The past year and a half has brought so many things into my life that have filled me with
the deepest of gratitude."
He gushed over Jenna, saying that she was "A partner who radiates love, warmth, and
kindness." and that she's been supportive and understanding of his own growth.
Then, in February 2020, they got engaged.
Jenna shared a picture of the ring on Instagram, captioning that she was ready for "a lifetime
to love and grow with you… you have my heart."
Naturally, there were those who felt like Jenna was rushing into a new marriage so soon
after her divorce, but when she asked her followers on Twitter if people could fall
in love at first sight, she got a response from someone very special.
Steve commented, "I believe they can."
Steve also didn't hesitate to embrace Jenna's daughter with Channing, Everly.
He considered her as his own child and admitted that Everly helped him learn "so much about
parenting" as well as "what it means to love and communicate with a child."
He added that he couldn't wait to give her a sibling and "make our little family a little
bigger."
In March 2020, the lovebirds welcomed their son, Callum Michael Rebel Kazee, and his arrival
has only made their bond stronger.
Sharing a snap of Kazee napping with their bundle of joy, Jenna wrote, "Seeing you become
a father is one of the greatest things I've ever witnessed.
The depth of emotion you feel, the love you share, the insane ability you have to do it
ALL for all of us… we are so lucky."
More than one year after their engagement, Dewan admitted that she and her fiancé "hadn't
even had a chance to talk much about our wedding" during the international pandemic.
She added, "I am a firm believer in staying in the flow of life.
I know I will know when it's right."
She shared that their time during the pandemic has been an "emphasis on simplicity and the
presence," and she was more focused on "making what's important really count." which for
the couple was their family and "having a great time celebrating together."
Jenna opened up about being in quarantine amid the international pandemic with her beloved
Steve, sharing, "We've been home together now every single day for over 400 days and
still going ... This man is the most incredible father, takes care of all of us, this entire
house, EVERYTHING."
She added that Steve was taking on the night shift with their son to make sure she could
get some extra rest.
Jenna gushed, "He is sexy fatherhood personified.
What a wild ride this past year has been and I find myself feeling absolute gratitude …."
If there's one thing Jenna Dewan and Steve Kazee's fast-paced bond shows us, it's that
when you're sure of your bond, there's no need to play it safe.
As soon as the pair reconnected, they felt they were brought together for a reason, which
in turn gave them the confidence to push convention aside and follow their hearts.
Because relationships don't come with a playbook — you just have to do what feels right.