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Channing Tatum’s Tattoos Are Rarely Seen
by
ina bansal
Getty / Cindy Ord/VF23
Channing Tatum and his girlfriend of two years, fellow actor Zoë Kravitz recently announced they got engaged in November 2023. Though the “The Batman” star is among one of the most decorated actors in Hollywood with over 50 tattoos on her body, Tatum has gradually built his ink collection over the years, now boasting six uniquely meaningful pieces. Though, like his personal life, the actor likes to keep his tattoos private, rarely drawing attention to them in the public eye. That might be why there’s still, to some extent, mystery lingering around many of his designs.
Tatum began his collection years ago when he got his first tattoo to commemorate fond childhood memories. His second design was a matching Belanise script that he got with his now ex-wife, Jenna Dewan. The couple officially split in 2018 after nine years of marriage but his ink supposedly lives on. He also has another rarely-seen piece that he addressed in a 2022 Wired Autocomplete interview with “The Lost City” co-star Sandra Bullock. At the time, he shared he had five tattoos, with his fifth addition placed on his leg. Slightly pulling up his right hem, he casually added that he “got another little one with the Ranger boys,” eliciting a sweet response from the “Bird Box” actor as she snuck a brief look at it. Judging by the clip, the mysterious tattoo is likely on his ankle, though what it is, exactly, remains enigmatic. He clearly isn’t done adding to his collection because in February 2022, Tatum took to his Instagram Stories to share his newest work of art: a leg tattoo that he got with his fitness trainer buddy Trey Allen.
From his designs with Dewan to the powerful portrait he has from famous celebrity artist Dr. Woo, we rounded up all of Tatum’s tattoos (or at least the ones that are known). Check them out and learn what they mean to actor, ahead.
Getty / NBC
Channing Tatum’s “L333” Leg Tattoo
In September 2023, Tatum showed off his freshly minted piece, reading “L333,” on his Instagram Stories. The design is inscribed on the back of his left calf, just below the knee bend. “Basically a prison tattoo,” he simply captioned alongside the cryptic ink. He got this with his fitness trainer Trey Allen, who got a similarly coded “N853” inked across his left knee.
It’s worth noting that in the photo shoot for V Magazine’s 2022 cover story, Tatum’s back showed two tiny tattoos, his right shoulder blade reading “33” and his left side “37.” His recent leg tattoo appears to spell out the combination of the same digits. However, it is unknown if the ink on his back is permanent.
Everett Collection / Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
Channing Tatum’s “Side By Side” Ribcage Tattoo
Tatum has the phrase “side by side” tattooed vertically on his left ribcage in Balinese. It’s one-half of the matching ink the actor got with Dewan, whose tattoo is placed on her left foot. The former couple got this twin ink during their 2009 honeymoon in Bali, Indonesia. Though it isn’t clear if Dewan still has hers, in a March 2022 Wired Autocomplete interview, Tatum silently confirmed that he still has his piece of ink as he counted all his tattoos, noting their placement locations.
In 2012, Tatum shared with People the inspiration behind the design. “We always wanted to get a tattoo of something together,” he said. “We weren’t going to do each other’s names. We wanted to do something symbolic. It was in one of our vows to each other. We took it from that.”
Getty / Karwai Tang
Channing Tatum’s “Twin” Finger Tattoo
Tatum also has another matching tattoo with Dewan. He shared with GQ in a 2011 profile that the two got the word “Twin” in white ink underneath their wedding bands. Because it’s difficult to spot due to its near-invisible color, it isn’t clear whether the former couple still has the ink on their respective left fingers.