- Tatum, 43, and Dewan, 43, who are parents to daughter Everly, 10, are still locked in a legal battle over finances
- They are fighting over the distribution of money Tatum earns via the Magic Mike movie franchise, Dailymail.com was first to report April 12
Channing Tatum is fighting back against his ex-wife Jenna Dewan‘s demands for a bigger slice of the profits from his ‘billion dollar’ Magic Mike movies and live shows.
Six years after they split up, Dewan, 43, is claiming that Tatum secretly plotted with others to hide his earning from the sexy male stripper franchise which was created when the two were still married.
But in new court documents exclusively discovered by DailyMail.com the 44 year-old star vehemently challenges the accusation, saying: ‘I have always agreed for her to have an interest in the Magic Mike intellectual property and related entities.
‘I have never denied her share of any community assets or income. Her claims that I have “colluded with third parties” are completely false.
‘She has had complete access to all our financial records for all activities during our marriage and since separation. I continue to provide her with updates regarding Magic Mike financial matters.’
Dewan claims ex-husband Tatum hid earnings from Magic Mike movies in a trust however he denies those claims
Channing Tatum (pictured with actress financee Zoë Kravitz) denies his ex’s allegations that he tried to hide earnings from his Magic Mike movies
Dewan is expecting her second baby with fiancé Steve Kazee with the pair seen at the Fashion Trust U.S. Awards 2024 on April 9 this year
While the couple were officially divorced in November 2019, issues including Magic Mike earnings, division of assets, spousal support and child support for their 10 year-old daughter Everly remain unresolved despite years of legal battles.
Now, Dewan _ who is engaged to actor and singer Steve Kazee and is expecting his second child next month – has filed a motion asking LA Superior Court for the Magic Mike revenue issue be ‘bifurcated’ which means it would be dealt with in a trial separate from the other issues.
Tatum meanwhile opposes bifurcation and wants all their disputes settled together, ‘to finalize our divorce case without further delay’ and accuses his ex of ‘delaying tactics to prolong resolution of our financial settlement…and to seek a windfall from me.’
Now engaged to actress Zoe Kravitz, 35, Tatum is also against paying spousal support to his former wife, saying in his new court filing, ‘I do not believe (Dewan’s) request for spousal support is appropriate.
‘We had a short term marriage of eight years and eight months and separated over six years ago. Dewan started co-habiting with her fiancé (Steve Kazee) shortly after our separation five and a half years ago.
‘Dewan works, is able to contribute to her own support and will receive one half of the community property, residuals and royalties and income from other investments.
‘She will also have substantial investment income fro the cash assets she has received in our divorce. She has received millions of dollars in cash assets.
‘She will receive additional cash assets when the remainder of our estate is divided and post separation accounting is finalized.
‘There are not, nor have there ever been, any orders for temporary spousal support. I believe she is now requesting spousal support from me to further delay our financial settlement.’
The former couple, who were married from July 2009 to November 2019, share 10-year-old daughter, Everly, but have since moved on to other relationships
The Magic Mike success story – based on Tatum’s own earlier experiences as stripper in Florida – started in 2012 with the first movie. He and the film’s director, Steven Soderbergh, co-financed the project.
Their $7 million investment turned into a blockbuster, earning $167 million worldwide. Then came two more films, followed by touring striptease shows that have also been a big hit.
At a hearing last month, Dewan’s attorney, Samantha Spector, described the Magic Mike business as ‘a potential billion dollar asset.’
Tatum’s attorney Jacqueline Combs, insists that the Magic Mike franchise made most of its money after he and Dewan had already separated.
And in his 64 pages of new court documents, Tatum says that while he and several third party business partners had invested money, time and effort into making the Magic Mike brand a success, ‘Dewan has not contributed any efforts to enhance the Magic Mike intellectual property.
Tatum (with Kravitz) starred and co-financed the movie Magic Mike, which became a critical and box office hit and earned about $167 million globally
‘Contrary to Dewan’s allegations, I have only acted in the best interest of the community throughout our marriage and since separation.
‘I have expended substantial post-separation efforts to enhance the Magic Mike intellectual property and I have also licensed my name and likeness to the related business.
‘I believe these post-separation efforts give rise to my separate property claims to those assets but they have also benefitted the community. Without my post-separation efforts, the Magic Mike entities would have failed.’
As for Dewan’s claim that he was secretly hiding money in a trust, Tatum adds, ‘She is wrong.
‘Together, Dewan and I established an irrevocable trust to invest in certain businesses and made Everly the sole beneficiary. This was done with Dewan’s knowledge and involvement.’
The former couple are due back in court May 15 for a judge to hear Dewan’s bifurcation motion. A trial is scheduled for December.