on social media in April 2018, when they revealed in a joint statement that they had, quote,

"lovingly chosen to separate as a couple."

Fans immediately assumed the announcement was nothing more than a cruel, belated April

Fool's joke, but sadly, they were wrong... and now we're all left to wonder where the

heck things went wrong.

Perhaps the writing was on the wall long before they made their heartbreaking announcement.

Here are some of the major clues as to why Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan Tatum split.

Tequila commitment

When Channing and Jenna met on the set of Step Up, they had both just gotten out of

relationships.

He was hesitant to jump into a new one, but she was ready to give commitment a try.

Jenna told Ellen DeGeneres that she gave Channing the freedom to date other women until he figured

out whether he wanted to be with her or not.

It ended up being a, quote, "wild tequila night" that helped him commit.

"He said he had the chance to be free and he couldn't stop thinking about me so he comes

down to my hotel room at 2 in the morning"

"He's in a sombrero…He's naked.

Sorry, he has underwear, underwear, sombrero, and ugg boots and he's like 'Let's do this.'"

If liquid courage wasn't involved, it's possible these two never would have become a serious

item in the first place.

Rollin' solo

These two stars rarely hit up industry events alone, so it was pretty shocking to see Jenna

attend the 2018 Vanity Fair Oscars after-party without her guy.

"He is so happy to have a night off, yes…

I took his place."

Although we really wanted to believe Mr. Tatum was on daddy duty and just too busy to accompany

his wife, this turned out to be one of the signs that there may have been some cracks

in their union.

Baby plans

When it came to making Baby Number 2, a source told In Touch Weekly in October 2017,

"Channing has been begging Jenna for years to give Everly a little brother, and Jenna

is finally ready."

Just a few months later, Health magazine asked Jenna about their baby-making plans, and her

response wasn't as concrete.

She said she was, quote, "thrilled with one child," and added,

"I haven't yet made my decision and I'm leaving it to the universe to show me the way."

Perhaps it was their mismatched ideas on expanding their family that caused their marriage to

derail.

Cryptic Insta posts

In the months prior to the couple's separation announcement, Jenna made a few cryptic Instagram

posts that pointed towards their marriage being in shambles.

In March 2018, she shared a quote that read: "Wine is strong, a king is stronger, women

are even stronger.

But the truth will conquer all."

If that wasn't ominous enough, just a week before, the Supergirl star posted these words:

"Give it time … The weak in character always get tired of pretending.

Their true colors will show."

While their separation announcement claimed, "There are no secrets nor salacious events

at the root of our decision," Jenna's Instagram seems to tell a different story.

Work, work, work

According to a source who spoke to Page Six, the pressure of work was another reason these

two put the kibosh on their marriage.

The insider claimed,

"Channing has been working non-stop.

[...] It is hard on a marriage to be apart so much, especially when you have a young

child.

Plus Jenna is in pre-production for the movie, Berlin I Love You."

The source added that while the pair tried their best to spend quality family time together,

the distance had, quote, "magnified the problems in their relationship."

Marriage views

There was once a time when Jenna was a strong proponent of marriage, and that was evident

when Channing played an evil trick to throw her off his tracks as he planned his 2008

proposal.

During an interview on BBC's Radio 1 Breakfast Show, he shared,

"I told her, 'I don't believe in the institution of marriage and I don't think I ever want

to get married.'

She basically broke down crying."

Those tears turned into tears of joy when they wed in 2009, but almost a decade after

saying "I do," she expressed some doubts about the sanctity of marriage when she told Health

magazine,

"I don't think there should be any expectation, any sort of 'You're bonded to me for the rest

of your life,' thick and thin.

I think that's an older generational thought."

Secret footage clues

Following the separation announcement, E! News dug up a never-released September 2017

interview at the premiere of Jenna's show, World of Dance.

Jenna — who appears solo — is asked to share her secret to having a successful marriage.

"I think the secret is that I don't know the secret.

Because if I knew the secret, maybe it would work…

Living apart

After news broke that the couple's marriage had imploded, a source confirmed to People

magazine that Channing and Jenna had actually been "separated for months" and he had already

moved out of their Los Angeles home.

The source alleged,

"This has been a long time coming.

Like any marriage, they've had their ups and downs over the years but they really started

to grow apart within the last year."

Changes in communication

Channing and Jenna began dating when they were both in their mid-20s, so it's no surprise

that they've grown up and matured over time.

While speaking with Redbook magazine in April 2017, Jenna was asked what the biggest challenge

was in her relationship, and she shared,

"Communication.

You change when you're together from 25 to 35.

I think maybe in my early 20s, I might have tiptoed around issues or didn't want to make

too many waves.

Now it's like, 'This is how I'm feeling.'"

All reasons aside, we're heartbroken that the Tatums are no more, and we wish the best

for their family.

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