Honestly, looking back at 2018, nobody had Jessie J and Channing Tatum on their celebrity dating bingo card. It was a weird, whirlwind time. Channing had just split from his wife of nearly a decade, Jenna Dewan, and the world was still mourning the end of that Step Up era romance. Then, suddenly, rumors started flying about him hanging out at mini-golf courses with a British pop star.
It sounds like a fan fiction plot. But for about two years, it was very real.
Their relationship was a strange mix of high-profile PDA and intense secrecy. They’d go months without being seen, then Channing would post a nude photo of himself on Instagram because he lost a game of Jenga to her. Yeah, that actually happened. But as of 2026, the dust has settled, both have moved on to entirely different chapters—Jessie is a mom now, and Channing’s love life has seen several more high-profile turns—yet people still search for what actually went wrong.
Was it just a rebound? Or was it something deeper that just couldn't survive the logistics of being famous on two different continents?
How Jessie J and Channing Tatum Actually Started
The timeline is a bit messy because they tried so hard to keep it under wraps. They were first linked in October 2018. Someone spotted them playing mini-golf (the most normal date ever, frankly) and the internet exploded.
At the time, Jessie J was dealing with a lot of "she looks just like Jenna" comparisons. It was brutal. People were pitting these two women against each other, and Jessie eventually had to post a massive statement about how disappointed she was that people were focusing on their looks instead of their talent. Jenna Dewan actually backed her up on that, which was a class act move.
The Honeymoon Phase
By November 2018, things were official. Channing was seen at her concerts in London and Houston. He posted that now-famous tribute after her Royal Albert Hall performance, calling her "something special."
They were doing the long-distance thing between LA and the UK. For a while, it worked. They even reportedly moved into a mansion in the English countryside together in 2019. It felt like they were building a real life, not just a Hollywood "showmance." Jessie even met his daughter, Everly, and they seemed to get along great.
The Breakup(s) and the "Timing" Issue
The first split happened in December 2019. The official word was that the "timing was off."
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That’s usually celebrity code for "we're tired of flying ten hours to see each other," but sources at the time said Channing was super busy with his career and being a dad. He needed to be in LA for Everly. Jessie's heart (and career) was in London.
But they couldn't stay away from each other.
- January 2020: They were spotted furniture shopping together.
- January 26, 2020: They hit the red carpet at a pre-Grammy party, looking totally in love.
- April 2020: It was officially over. Again.
This second split felt more permanent. By the time the world went into lockdown, they had realized that while they cared about each other, the "same issues" kept popping up. You can love someone and still realize your lives don't fit together like a puzzle piece.
The Recent Fallout: "Threw It Away"
Fast forward to late 2025 and early 2026. Jessie J has been working on new music, and one song in particular, "Threw It Away," has set the rumor mill on fire again.
During a listening party in London, she introduced the track—which she wrote back in 2020—by saying, "you can figure out who I was dating." The lyrics aren't exactly subtle. She calls an ex a "beast" and says she gave her love and they "threw it away."
Now, look, songwriting is emotional. It doesn't always reflect the literal, objective truth of a breakup, but it suggests that the "amicable" split we saw in the headlines might have been a bit more painful behind closed doors. Jessie has been through a lot since then, including her brave battle with early-stage breast cancer and the joy of becoming a mother to her son, Sky, with partner Chanan Colman.
Channing, meanwhile, went on to date (and get engaged to) Zoë Kravitz before that ended in late 2024. He’s recently been linked to model Inka Williams.
What We Can Learn From the Jessie/Channing Era
It’s easy to dismiss celebrity couples as superficial, but the Jessie J and Channing Tatum saga is actually a pretty relatable lesson in "Right Person, Wrong Time."
- Distance is a relationship killer: Even with private jets and millions of dollars, trying to maintain a life in two different countries while co-parenting a child (in Channing's case) is almost impossible.
- The rebound stigma is real: Entering a high-profile relationship immediately after a divorce (like Channing did) puts an unfair amount of pressure on the new partner.
- Privacy is a luxury: Jessie later admitted that being photographed before they even knew what they were created a "pressure cooker" environment.
If you're currently navigating a long-distance situation or dating someone who just finalized a major life change, take a page out of their book: sometimes it’s better to admit it’s not working before the resentment builds.
To stay truly updated on their current paths, you should follow Jessie J’s latest album cycle for more lyrical insights and keep an eye on the production notes for Channing’s upcoming projects like Roofman, as both stars are currently in a period of significant creative reinvention.