British pop star Jessie J has opened up about her ex-boyfriend Channing Tatum's reaction to being referenced on her latest musical project, revealing the Hollywood star gave his full approval before the album's release.
Friendly Exes Maintain Respectful Relationship
The Price Tag singer, who dated Tatum between 2018 and 2020, told The Guardian she played him the song containing the reference to ensure he was comfortable with it. "I played him the song to see if he's OK with it and he was," Jessie confirmed during the interview published on November 30, 2025.
On her track Complicated from the new album Don't Tease Me With A Good Time, Jessie references Tatum's iconic role in the 2012 film Magic Mike, where he portrayed a stripper. The lyrics include: "Met a Magic Mike, will that ever be forgotten? 'Cause everything they write / That's the headline and the topic."
The singer made it clear she still holds her former partner in high regard, describing him as "such a sweet guy" during the conversation. She elaborated: "Oh, he's so sweet. Oh my God, yeah! Channing is such a sweet guy. We were such good friends and had such a good time together."
Clarifying The Record On Breakup Speculation
This revelation comes after Jessie passionately defended her ex against speculation that she had made harsh comments about him on the album. Earlier reports had suggested the singer was following in Lily Allen's footsteps by creating brutal breakup anthems, particularly after Allen's West End Girl sparked analysis about her split from David Harbour.
Jessie took to her Instagram Story to set the record straight, blasting previous reports as "untrue" and clarifying: "Threw it away is NOT about @channingtatum I NEVER said it was."
She explained her motivation for speaking out, noting: "The reason I am saying something is because I know if the shoe was on the other foot he would correct the narrative too." The singer also praised Tatum as an "amazing dad" and expressed concern about his daughter potentially reading misinterpreted stories.
"I would never want his beautiful daughter to ever read any of it or be told about it thinking I said it about her Dad. Not fair," Jessie wrote, concluding: "Channing and I ended our relationship on great terms and I have nothing but respect for him, he was never a beast to me."
Album Marks Musical Comeback After Health Challenges
Don't Tease Me With A Good Time represents Jessie's sixth studio album and her first non-seasonal release since 2018. The project marks a significant return to music for the singer after undergoing treatment for breast cancer.
She held a listening party for the album in West London recently, where she encouraged fans to "figure out who I was dating" when she wrote certain songs, though she didn't mention Tatum by name when discussing her songwriting inspirations.
The couple's relationship timeline involved two separations, with their final reconciliation lasting from January 2020 to April that year before they parted ways permanently. Reports at the time indicated their split was "amicable" and that they remained in contact afterward.
A source told The Sun in 2020: "Jessie and Channing really care for each other. You only need to look at the gushing posts they made about each other during their relationship to see that. That's why they wanted to give their romance another shot, but sadly, it hasn't worked out."
Jessie has since moved on romantically and is now happily dating 41-year-old basketball player Chanan Colman since 2021. The couple welcomed their son Sky Safir in 2023.
The singer took time away from the spotlight this year after her breast cancer diagnosis, undergoing surgery in June and revealing in August that she required another operation before year's end, which forced her to postpone her tour.
She made a triumphant return to the stage in September, telling the crowd at BBC Radio 2 in the Park in Chelmsford: "Some of you may know, some of you may not know, but I had breast cancer surgery 11 weeks ago today, and the last show I did, I had no idea what was going to happen - and I'm still very much in the recovery process. I'm just so grateful to be here."
