The divorce proceedings between Jenna Dewan and Channing Tatum have taken a shocking turn, with Dewan blaming Tatum for making a “calculated” effort to conceal his earnings from the Magic Mike franchise. The couple, who split nearly six years ago, is knee-deep in a financial dispute that has shed light on the complexities of dividing assets tied to Tatum’s successful film. Dewan’s legal team filed a petition alleging that during their marriage, Tatum’s breakthrough with Magic Mike was a result of mutual efforts and marital funds. The petition contends that Tatum and his associates established a network of LLCs, holding companies, and partnerships to dilute and obscure the value of the franchise’s licensing income, which should be considered community property.
View this post on Instagram
As per Huff Post , the petition highlights the immense success of the Magic Mike franchise, including the original film’s box office success, subsequent sequels , a spinoff reality series, and live stage shows. The petition states, “During the parties’ marriage, Channing, an actor and producer got his big break with the motion picture ‘Magic Mike,’ which along with the underlying intellectual property, was developed and co-financed by Channing during marriage with community effort and marital funds. They created a complex web of LLCs, holding companies, and partnerships as a calculated attempt to dilute and conceal the value of, and licensing income therefrom, the community property share of ‘Magic Mike.’”
View this post on Instagram
In response, Tatum’s legal team denies withholding assets. A source revealed, “She says she wants a fair settlement but is ignoring all post-separation work Channing and his partners have done to enhance Magic Mike. She keeps stalling negotiations, but says she wants to resolve this.” However, Dewan’s representatives have shared, “Jenna is just looking for a fair resolution of community assets of the marriage, under California State Law. Jenna wants to reach a final determination and close this chapter on her life as soon as possible.”
For better insights, Kara Chrobak, shareholder at national law firm Buchalter shared, “Channing is trying to prove that the relevant Magic Mike earnings and intellectual property were acquired after the parties separated and therefore his separate property. To prove this, he will need to demonstrate, through witness testimony and exhibits, when the relevant intellectual property was developed and when the income was earned. The timing of this information will be critical to his case,” as reported by PEOPLE .
Dewan and Tatum’s relationship began on the set of Step Up in 2006, leading to their marriage and the birth of their daughter Evelyn in 2013. However, by 2018, irreconcilable differences led to their separation and subsequent divorce filing. They were officially declared legally single a year later. Since their split, Dewan has been in a relationship with actor Steve Kazee, with whom she shares a son. Tatum, on the other hand, has moved forward in his personal life and recently became engaged to actor Zoë Kravitz.