16 Facts About The Gorgeous (And Recently Single) Jenna Dewan Tatum

Jenna Dewan (formerly Jenna Dewan Tatum) is certainly a woman of many talents. She danced throughout her childhood and when she entered adulthood, she had her sights set on one thing - becoming a professional dancer. And thanks to her skill and hard work, she made that happen for a while. That is until she decided she wanted to push herself a little harder and try other projects, so she entered the world of acting. For a period, most people knew her primarily as an actress who also had a fair bit of dancing skill (after all, her big debut was Step Up, a movie where she literally played a dancer), but now she's begun to diversify yet again. She's entered the reality television world as a judge on a dance competition show, and she's also been trying to get a YouTube channel started.

We're not sure what's next for Jenna Dewan, but one thing is for sure - we'll be eagerly awaiting because it seems that the woman is always tackling an exciting new project. Particularly since things are rocky right now for her on the relationship front, we have a feeling she'll be focusing on her career more than ever.

Here are 16 things you may not have known about the stunning Jenna Dewan.

16 She Just Split With Her Hubby Of Nearly 10 Years

It seems that every time you think a celebrity couple is rock solid and will be together forever, that's the moment they decide to split - and the public just never sees it coming! Jenna Dewan and Channing Tatum were both rising star actors with not much fame when they managed to snag the roles of the leads in the dance romance Step Up. Sparks flew on screen, and it turns out, off-screen as well - they soon began dating and eventually tied the knot. The two have an adorable baby girl together, Everly, and were married for about eight years before they released this crushing statement: "We have lovingly chosen to separate as a couple. We fell deeply in love so many years ago and have had a magical journey together."

"Absolutely nothing has changed about how much we love one another, but love is a beautiful adventure that is taking us on different paths for now."

Luckily, they seem to be in a healthy place and aren't creating a toxic environment for their daughter, but still - they were so darn cute together! It's always hard to see celeb couples that we love so much split up after so many years together.

15 She's A Longtime Vegan

We're always interested in finding out exactly how the gorgeous women in Hollywood manage to get the bodies they get. Sure, they all definitely incorporate some kind of workout routine, but still - abs are made in the kitchen, so what they're choosing to consume on a daily basis definitely has a major impact! In Jenna's case, she's all about plant-based eating and often goes so far as to call herself a vegan. She spilled to Health.com, saying that "I eat mostly vegan, but I'm very accommodating, maybe because I've lived with a man for 11 years who's not vegetarian. Evie is a vegetarian, mostly because I cook for her and it's what I feel to be healthy for her and easiest." Now that she's no longer living with a carnivore, perhaps she'll get even more creative in whipping up plant-based foods in the kitchen. Who knows - maybe her next big project will be to work with a chef to create a vegan cookbook. There are plenty of celebrities out there who have gotten into the cookbook game, so why not make your mark as well? And, we have to confess - seeing her amazing body definitely makes us want to switch to an entirely plant-based way of eating.

14 She Loves Hitting The Flea Market

Given how glam she looks on a regular basis, you'd assume that Jenna only did her shopping at luxe boutiques and high-end department stores - but you'd be wrong. As she confessed herself, she loves a good flea market, which just proves that even celebrities love to find a great bargain or one-of-a-kind piece!

We totally love how thrifting and flea market visits are becoming kind of chic nowadays, with celebrities supporting the secondhand lifestyle.

Sure, sometimes they need to wear a gorgeous couture gown for the red carpet or for a photoshoot, but when they're just out and about running errands and grabbing lunch with their friends, why not add a few secondhand pieces to your wardrobe? It helps the environment, and you know that no one will be wearing the same thing as you, which is a bonus. No celebrity wants to be captured by the paparazzi and put in a 'who wore it best' set-up in the next edition of whatever tabloid they work for. We wonder if Jenna prefers hitting up the flea market with her besties or if she takes her adorable daughter with her instead - Everly seems like she already has a great sense of style!

13 When She Was A Kid, Her Nickname Was "Little Monkey"

It's always fascinating to get a bit of a glimpse into what a celebrity's childhood was like. After all, while some were raised in the entertainment industry and grew up rubbing elbows with stars in Hollywood, the vast majority of celebrities just come from regular families who never could have imagined they'd one day have a superstar in the bloodline. One little tidbit about her childhood that Jenna Dewan shared was that, as a kid, her nickname was actually "Little Monkey" because of her passion for climbing things. It's definitely indicative of her personality - while she splits her focus between acting and dancing nowadays, she still leads a super active lifestyle and is always on the go. We have to admit - if Jenna ever decides to give up acting and focus on other pursuits, we'd totally love to see her at the helm of some kind of fitness empire. I mean, can you just imagine the amazing dance-based workouts she would be able to craft? Plus, seeing her incredible physique, who wouldn't be convinced to invest a few dollars with the promise of looking a little more like Jenna Dewan? Seriously, we're crossing our fingers that someone makes it happen.

12 She Worked For Years As A Backup Dancer For Several Big Stars

Former hubby Channing Tatum got a few paid dancing gigs when he was younger, most notably his time as an exotic dancer, but Jenna Dewan was a legit backup dancer to the stars. She danced all growing up, and once she graduated high school, even though she went to the University of Southern California, she was still seriously pursuing her dream of becoming a professional dancer. And, her skills proved that she had what it took - she got a prime gig with pop star Janet Jackson, and then later ended up dancing with Sean Combs and boy band *NSYNC (as well as appearing in a variety of music videos as a backup dancer).

It's one thing to get a one-day gig, but it's an entirely different level of success to go on tour with a huge superstar and be on stage night after night, slaying the choreography.

We've all seen glimpses of Jenna Dewan's dancing abilities, but we have to confess - we kind of wish we'd see a bit more of her skills because it sounds like she's majorly talented. Being a successful actress likely pays better than being a backup dancer, but hey - sometimes you have to follow your passion!

11 She's Apparently Super Messy

Most of the time, when we get a glimpse into a celebrity's home, it looks immaculate. However, that's usually because it's staged for some kind of photoshoot, or because they've taken a shot in a particular area that they know isn't too out of control. If you were to walk into Jenna Dewan's house on an average day, though, you might get a bit of a different perspective - she's confessed time and time again that she's majorly messy. She even admitted in an interview that "I actually can't even have people ride in my car right now, it's so bad." We have to admit, it kind of makes her even more endearing now that we know she's a secret slob. If you want another glimpse into her life, there was an interview she did with Ellen DeGeneres a while back where she showed a picture of her bathroom vanity covered with piles and piles of make-up and beauty products, a far cry from the normally immaculate set-ups we see from celebrities. Hey, sometimes when you're getting ready in a hurry, it leaves a bit of a mess - we totally identify. Jenna Dewan - she's just like the rest of us. Who knew?

10 She's A Big Believer In Meditation And Crystals

If you follow Jenna on any of her social media accounts, you'll know that she's pretty into living a healthy lifestyle. From eating a plant-based diet to working out regularly to taking some time for self-care even though she's a busy mom, she prioritizes health. So, it doesn't seem all that surprising that she's into holistic things like meditation and crystals. We can't even count how many celebrities have been singing the praises of a meditation practice lately. Given what a crazy place Hollywood is, it makes sense that they'd try to prioritize taking some time for silence and reflection. And, not only does Jenna believe in meditation - she's a big fan of crystals as well, even going so far as to carry crystals in her gym bag.

She spoke about her love of energy-aligning practices, saying that "every hotel room, every apartment we rent, I am sage-ing. And I have crystals that I travel with. It just makes me feel better."

Hey, everyone has a different process when it comes to performing at their peak level - why not make sure to include the things in your life that make a difference? No wonder she always has such a positive, sunny attitude.

9 She Was A Varsity Cheerleader In High School

Not many high schools have dance teams, so it makes sense that Jenna would want to do the next closest thing in high school - cheerlead. After all, just like dancers, cheerleaders have to learn choreography and perform complicated routines that require a lot of training. She apparently moved quite a bit as a child and attended several new schools. However, she didn't find being the new kid too intimidating - she just joined the cheer squad wherever she went and ended up being a varsity cheerleader at both Notre Dame Preparatory School in Maryland as well as Grapevine High School in Texas. It's so crazy to get a glimpse at a much younger Jenna. She's definitely gorgeous today, but she looks quite a bit different from her high school self - we have a feeling that she would never have guessed she'd end up becoming a big superstar in Hollywood. Now, the question is, will she ever get the chance to draw upon her varsity cheerleader days and play a cheerleader on screen? We'd love to see her playing a professional cheerleader who falls in love with an athlete in a sassy rom-com. Or, who knows - perhaps now that she's single and ready to mingle, she'll find a professional athlete who captures her heart in real life!

8 Channing Wasn't Her First Celebrity Relationship

There's no doubt that Channing Tatum was Jenna Dewan's most noteworthy celebrity relationship. After all, the two were married, and have an adorable daughter together - their relationship was much deeper than just a quick month-long fling between two sultry starlets. However, even though Jenna Dewan was a relatively unknown dancer and actress when she got together with Channing, he wasn't her first celebrity relationship. It turns out that sparks definitely fly from time to time between musicians and their backup dancers - at least, they did in Jenna's case.

She was a backup dancer for NSYNC for a while and ended up dating Justin Timberlake for a short period, as well as actor Shane West.

I mean, can you blame them? She's absolutely gorgeous and super talented. Although it was probably a bit of a different experience - the paparazzi likely wouldn't have hounded her quite as much because she wasn't yet a star - now it would be an entirely different story. She'll probably be taking a bit of time to regroup and just focus on herself right now, but we kind of can't wait to see who she starts dating next - we have a feeling she could have her pick of Hollywood men.

7 Emmanuelle Chriqui And Haylie Duff Were In Her Bridal Party

Jenna Dewan doesn't just work in Hollywood - she also has plenty of celebrities in her inner circle of friends. And that's not just a recent development - she's been besties with a few celebs for over a decade now. While we wouldn't necessarily associate them with one another, it turns out she's close friends with actress Emmanuelle Chriqui and actress/singer Haylie Duff. In fact, Chriqui was Dewan's maid of honor at her wedding back in 2009, and Haylie was her bridesmaid. We wonder - if she ever decides to walk down the aisle again, will she invite those two to be in her wedding party once more, or has she developed closer friendships over the past decade? Given that the above picture was taken just a short while ago, though, we have a feeling she's still incredibly close with her former maid of honor. Plus, now that she's going through a tough time in her personal life, she's probably relying on her friendships even more than ever. After all, what better thing to do when you're feeling down than spend some time with your girls? Ending a marriage certainly isn't easy, so it's probably a huge supply of comfort to have her besties by her side.

6 She's A Belieber

Okay, we totally never would have pegged Jenna Dewan as a huge fan of Justin Bieber, given that she's not a tween girl, but apparently Beliebers come in all ages. She told a hilarious story on The Ellen DeGeneres Show about an experience she had with Bieber. It turns out, she and some of her girlfriends were hitting the town, grabbing some dinner, when they looked up and spotted Justin Bieber across the restaurant. And then, madness ensued. As Dewan explains,

"My one girlfriend brought out her lipstick, my one girl is doing her hair. We completely fan-girled out, and we're all, mind you, married with like, 1.5 kids, so we turned immediately 16."

Hey, given the kind of hysteria that Bieber so often provokes in teenage girls, it only makes sense that even some grown women would be susceptible to his charms. Now, the question is, did she make her daughter Everly a Bieber fan as well, or is that just mom's thing? We can totally imagine her blasting some Bieber as she cleans the house and does her make-up and all that. It just goes to prove that you can really never guess who is a fan of a certain artist - sometimes it's someone you would never expect.

5 She Loves Bike Riding - Particularly At Her Family's Nantucket Home

Jenna Dewan seems to love staying active, no matter how she can fit it into her schedule. Obviously, when she's in Los Angeles, she drives everywhere because, well, that's what everyone does in Los Angeles. It's definitely a city of cars. However, when she's on vacation elsewhere, she loves to find alternate modes of transportation that allow her to get active - like bike riding! She spilled the details about an adorable tradition, saying that "my family has had a house on Nantucket for many generations, and one of my favorite things to do is to ride my bike there. I'm still amazed there aren't any spotlights on the entire island!" We can picture it so vividly it's crazy - can you just imagine riding all around the island, feeling the breeze in your hair, enjoying the fresh Nantucket air and the sunshine beating down on you? It sounds like total paradise. If we were Jenna, we'd just head over to the Dewan family estate in Nantucket for a month or more. I mean, when she has a break from working on all her projects, that is. She could ride all around with Everly by her side, paddling a little tricycle. Adorable.

4 She Absolutely Hates Speed Bumps (But Is Apparently Pro Beauty Mask)

People in Los Angeles spend a lot of time in their cars. Like, a lot of time. From heading to auditions to heading to the studio lot to film to hitting up an event or just meeting a friend for coffee, Angelenos will drive just about everywhere because that's just how many parts of the city are built. So, it kind of makes sense that you wouldn't want to make your trip any longer than it needed to be, right? Well, while that's true, Jenna Dewan seems to have an even bigger hatred for one particular aspect of driving than others - we're talking about speed bumps.

She spilled her pet peeve to Buzzfeed, admitting that "they [speed bumps] drive me nuts. I will take different routes to go around speed bumps."

Hey, we totally feel her - who has the patience to travel two miles an hour over the pesky things? You know you have to slow down or you'll scrape the bottom of your car, but you also just want to get to your destination as soon as humanly possible. Speed bumps make it a whole lot harder, so we can totally get why she'd be annoyed by them. Jenna Dewan - she's just like the rest of us.

3 Her Favourite Reality Show Is 'RuPaul's Drag Race'

Dancers are used to things being a little over the top. After all, when you're busting out choreography on stage for a huge arena, they're not going to see every subtle movement you make. You need to have moves that are sharp and visible, that you can see a mile away. And, when you add things like glittering costumes and on-stage effects to the package, it gets a whole lot more over the top. So, we're not entirely surprised that when it comes to reality television, Jenna Dewan is all about RuPaul's Drag Race. I mean, plenty of people likely count the show as one of their favorites, but it's still pretty cool to hear about a celebrity fan. RuPaul has definitely brought on a few stars over the seasons to appear for an episode, so who knows - maybe Jenna will one day get the opportunity to actually be a part of her favorite reality show by standing alongside RuPaul during a competition or judging panel. We're already totally brainstorming the different ways she could be involved - perhaps the contestants could be challenged to come up with a dance, and Jenna could judge the choreography. I mean, who wouldn't watch that?

2 Her Go-To Comfort Food Is French Fries

Jenna Dewan eats quite healthy most of the time - I mean, you don't get that kind of physique by chowing down on chocolate bars and ice cream every night. Jenna's revealed some of her eating habits before, and it's safe to say that she drinks plenty of green juices and smoothies and eats her fair share of vegetables. She follows a plant-based diet, and it's not just salads all the time. She does have one particular comfort food that she just can't live without - crisp, golden, perfectly cooked French fries. Fries are something that both vegetarians and carnivores would agree are completely delicious, and they're the perfect treat for when you want something comforting. Actresses often have eating habits that aren't all that relatable to the average person, so we kind of love that she admitted she doesn't just eat vegetables and fruits all day long, that she sometimes indulges in straight up junk food.

I mean, you need a little balance in your life - you can't exist solely on green smoothies and kale.

Sometimes, you just need an order of fries to brighten up your day and put you in a good mood. After all, who doesn't love carbs?

1 She's Totally Terrified Of Sharks

You might see Jenna enjoying the waves near the shore or swimming in a pool in the sunshine, but there's one place you'll never spot her - deep in the ocean. She spilled all about her biggest fear in the world to Buzzfeed, admitting that she's totally terrified of sharks. "It cripples me from swimming in the ocean," Dewan said "I swim for like 10 seconds and I swim out really fast. I'm terrified of sharks! And everyone says it's easier to die in a car accident than a shark attack, but do you know how bad it would suck to be eaten by a shark?! It's like, why risk the one percent? And I think I'm like kind of the same size as a seal, it freaks me out." Well, we sort of don't blame her for this one. There have been enough situations where a shark takes a chomp out of someone swimming in the ocean that we'd be a little wary to venture too far out as well. Plus, let's be honest - most of the fun at the beach comes from splashing around in the shallow part and laying in the sun or playing around in the sand. Who needs the deep end?

References: usmagazine.com, boomsbeat.com, health.com, fame10.com, buzzfeed.com