Jenna Dewan was married to her Step Up co-star, Channing Tatum, for a decade, and they also welcomed a daughter, Everly “Evie” Tatum. Following their divorce in 2018, however, the actress found love for a second time, reconnecting with a former acquaintance – Broadway star Steve Kazee.
Like something out of a rom-com, the couple had first crossed paths in 2012, sharing a brief “moment” after Jenna and her mom, Nancy, stopped to congratulate Steve on his incredible performance in Once. Six years later, and the pair had found each other again, with Jenna describing Steve as her “peace.”
After introducing Steve to Everly, the duo went on to welcome a son, Callum, and in January they confirmed that they’ve got another baby on the way! Here, HELLO! takes a look at their relationship timeline…
2012 – Jenna and Steve share a “moment” in New York
In a 2021 interview with The Knot, Jenna revealed that she and Steve had first crossed paths in 2012, six years before embarking on a relationship. “About nine years ago, I happened to be in New York, so I took my mom to see Once on Broadway. We cried our eyes out and fell in love with the show—in particular, the lead actor, Steve Kazee. We thought he was just so talented,” explained Jenna.
“And funnily enough, my mom had the biggest crush—she couldn’t stop saying, ‘He’s the cutest, so sensitive, so handsome.’ She just kept going on and on. So I said, ‘Let’s wait for him at the stage door so you can say hi.’
“So we did. We waited for a few minutes, and he appeared. I was pushing her forward to say hi, and Steve and I just had one of those eye-catching moments. It was very quick, but it struck us both. It was a moment. My mom and I told him what a great job he did and how it was such an amazing show, and that was it. We both went off into the night. But I never forgot the moment.”
Months after her 2018 divorce from ex-husband Channing, Jenna was surprised to receive a message from Steve, who himself was newly single.
“He messaged me and said something like, ‘Hey, I don’t know if you remember me, but how are you?’ And I was floored. Of course I remembered him. And that moment in 2012. And it was just kind of fate—it was totally meant to be,” she said.
October 2018 – Steve and Jenna’s relationship is confirmed
On October 30 2018, People Magazine announced that Jenna was dating again, although, it wasn’t until November that Steve was officially confirmed as her beau.
From this point onwards, the couple were spotted packing on the PDA in Los Angeles. They also made their relationship Instagram official, regularly posting about one another on the platform.
February 2019 – Steve pens the most romantic Valentine’s Day post to Jenna
Steve and Jenna were hailed as relationship goals following his super romantic tribute to the star in February 2019. Posting a photo of Jenna lying in bed, Steve wrote: “Somehow, inexplicably, I’ve been granted the honor to have this be the person that I get to be side by side with throughout this wild journey we call life.
“Jenna I don’t know what I did to deserve your love but I will always be so thankful that our lives found their way to each other. Here’s looking at you, kid. Happy Valentine’s Day my love.”
September 2019 – The couple confirm they’re expecting their first child together
Less than a year after their romance was confirmed, Steve and Jenna surprised fans after revealing that they were expecting their first child together.
“I can’t even begin to describe the feelings that I have had since we first learned that Jenna was pregnant!” Steve wrote on Instagram. “I have waited my entire life for this moment and couldn’t have found a better person to build a family with.
“Evie burst into my life like a supernova and has continued to burn so brightly in it. I have learned so much about parenting already from watching how amazing Jenna is with her and Evie has taught me so much about what it means to love and communicate with a child and I can’t wait to give her a sibling and make our little family a little bit bigger.”
February 2020 – Steve and Jenna announce their engagement
In February 2020, Steve popped the question. Jenna confirmed the news with a photo of the ring on Instagram, captioned: “A lifetime to love and grow with you…you have my heart.”
Broadway star Steve had asked Jenna’s close friend and jewellery business owner, Nikki Reed, to help design the ring. “When I first started to look at engagement rings for Jenna, I knew I wanted something unique. It had to be unique. It had to be representative of who Jenna is. It had to be as beautiful as her,” Steve told his Instagram followers.
“The solitaire is representative of our oneness in the universe surrounded by stars. The diamonds laid into the band are representative of the Pleiades constellation which holds special meaning for Jenna and I.”
6 March 2020 – Steve and Jenna welcome their son Callum
A month after their engagement, Steve and Jenna welcomed their son, Callum.
Sharing a snap from the hospital, The Rookie actress wrote: “And just like that, our hearts exploded into all of eternity and beyond. Welcome to the world you little angel! Callum Michael Rebel Kazee 3/6/20.”
Jul 2021 – Jenna opens up about wedding planning
Shortly after their engagement, the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, Steve and Jenna hadn’t given their wedding too much thought. Speaking to The Knot in July 2021, Jenna revealed that while her life hasn’t been very traditional, there are a few traditions that she’d like to incorporate into their nuptials.
“Oh, Evie would never forgive me if I did not let her be the flower girl. She would never speak to me again—that’s how much it means to her,” said Jenna. “I will for sure keep the tradition of incorporating Evie and Callum in the wedding. I love the tradition of incorporating my mom and my dad too.
“Steve’s mom has passed on, and so it’s important to me to incorporate her presence into the ceremony and honor her in some way. I like the idea of writing our own vows, and we’ll have someone special to us officiate,” she continued. “Overall, I think we will focus on having a spiritual ceremony. And of course, we’ll have some kind of celebration after.”
December 2021 – Steve makes a surprise appearance on The Rookie
Steve joined the cast of The Rookie in 2021, appearing as Jason, the ex-husband of Jenna’s character, Bailey Nune, in three episodes. No stranger to TV thanks to his roles in Shameless and Nashville, Steve nailed the assignment, and fans loved seeing the real-life couple together on screen.
Jenna later opened up about the experience while appearing on Live with Kelly and Ryan! “It was interesting, it was fun,” she said. “We’ve never worked together before and it was obviously super intense. It was such a cool experience cause you basically get to do that and come home like, ‘Oh, I got to yell at you all day.’ Got that out of my system!”
January 2024 – Steve and Jenna announce their second pregnancy
Three years after they welcomed their son, Steve and Jenna confirmed their second pregnancy in Romper magazine.
“I would have a million babies with this woman. So excited to welcome this new little light into the world!” Steve captioned a photo of the stunning magazine cover.
During the interview, Jenna revealed that she and Steve have decided to keep the sex of the baby a mystery this time round.
Adding that she’s feeling wistful about her third and final pregnancy, Jenna said: “There’s a bit of joy and a little sadness. I’m really trying to enjoy it all and not try to just get through the days. I really love being a mom. That’s something I knew my whole life, but I really know it now.”
She also commended Steve on his parenting skills. “He’s so naturally domestic and nurturing, and he’s so loving, and he’s funny, and he’s really… he’s just incredible,” she told Romper. “It’s one of those things where people just have a natural ability for parenting. I’m so excited to see him with a little baby again.”
