Divorce Attorneys Weigh In On Channing Tatum, Jenna Dewan Split: ‘There Is So Much At Stake’
It was the breakup heard around the world. And now top divorce attorneys are weighing in on Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan's devastating split.
A Loving Split
The couple, who split after 12 years together, much to the distress of millions of fans worldwide, will soon be heading to court to hash out the details of their divorce.
Tatum and Dewan, both 37, announced their separation Monday. They've been married 9 years and share a 4-year-old daughter, Everly, born in 2013.
There are a lot of lengthy legal proceedings on the horizon and, according to top attorneys, it might get messy. Much of what comes next hinges on whether the couple signed a prenup, upon tying the knot back in 2009.
Either way, their career paths, and Tatum's massive paychecks in particular, will likely make for a complicated divorce. Tatum made approximately $60 million in 2013 alone, thanks to hit movies including 21 Jump Streetand Magic Mike. He banked a further $29 million in 2015, according to Forbes.
The actor also has his own vodka line, Born and Bred, which launched in February 2017 and is valued at approximately $60 to $80 million.
Prenup Or No Prenup
According to celebrity divorce attorney Vikki Ziegler, the 22 Jump Street star stands to lose considerably more if a prenup wasn't signed.
"At this point, there is so much at stake, for him more than her, because they would be dividing the bulk of their assets. She could be looking at spousal support for a period of time. Child support of course, that could be a huge number," she advised.
Tatum is also looking at a potential depletion of his estate, taking property, bank accounts, etc. into consideration.
Neither actor was hugely successful at the time they got married, but Tatum, in particular, is a bankable star now. Considering his meteoric rise, the actor may have taken out a postnuptial agreement to protect himself, complicating matters further.
Keep It Behind Closed Doors
Celeb divorce attorney Stu Slotnick, meanwhile, reckons the best course of action is for Tatum and Dewan to agree everything in private mediation, rather than going to the hassle of going to court.
"As a general rule, divorce litigation is something that should be avoided because it is long, it is painful and it is expensive. ... The fact that they released a joint statement is indicative of a present intention to work things out without the public being involved," he advised.
However, there's a difference between coming to terms emotionally and financially. Slotnick also warned that when it comes to splitting assets, things may get more complicated.
The big issue will be how much Dewan actually asks for, and how much she needs to keep her and her daughter's lives ticking over. If the two can't agree on how to co-parent effectively, it will get ugly quickly.
The actress could also claim more money if she can prove she helped Tatum ascend to the higher level he's at now. She might even argue she stayed behind to raise Everly or take care of the homestead while he was filming, which could potentially lead to higher renumeration.
If the two parties can't agree, it will go public, which is bad news for both of them.
Plenty Of Work To Do
Both Tatum and Dewan have projects in the works currently, with two films on the way for him, and her set to return to host World of Dance. Dewan is also set to appear in Berlin, I Love You with Orlando Bloom and Sophie Turner, among others.
Tatum will lend his voice to two animated films, with Smallfoot set for release Sept. 28, and the sequel to The Lego Movie, which is slated for Feb. 8, 2019. Tatum is also set to appear in X-Men spinoff Gambit, for which he'll also be handling producer duties.
The ex-couple also continue to work on YouTube Red series Step Up: High Water together, which they exec-produce. The series is based on the 2006 dance movie Step Up, which is the film set on which Tatum and Dewan originally met.
