Channing Tatum Is Co-Writing a Steamy Romance Novel — and His Co-Author Is ‘Bad Feminist’ Writer Roxane Gay
Here’s a pairing you probably didn’t see coming: Channing Tatum and acclaimed author Roxane Gay are writing a romance novel together. And according to Gay, it’s packed with sex scenes — set, of all places, in a bakery.
The collaboration between the Hollywood actor and the celebrated essayist sounds like its own meet-cute, and the origin story is almost as entertaining as the book promises to be.
How a Journalist’s Question Sparked the Whole Thing
Gay recently broke down the unlikely backstory of how the project came together, calling it “the most ridiculous way” for a writing partnership to begin.
“A journalist asked him if he knew that there was this writer who had a crush on him and wrote a book called Bad Feminist,” Roxane recently explained to Dua Lipa on the Service95 podcast. “And he was like, ‘Oh, I haven’t heard of it, but I’ll look into it.’”
“And then he did. And then someone approached him about doing a book project,” she continued, “and he was like, ‘Yes, I would love to, if I can co-write it with this person.’”
From that point, Gay said, their creative relationship took off.
The Plot: A Marriage Pact With a Very Steamy Twist
So what’s the book actually about? Gay hasn’t been shy about teasing the details.
The book? “It’s very sexy. Lots and lots of sex.”
“It’s actually grounded in reality,” she said of the book’s plot on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert last year. “You know how so many people make these little pacts? Like, ‘If we both turn 40 and we’re still single let’s get married.’ So they actually get married and then they fall in love afterwards.”
“A voluntary arranged marriage,” she laughed. “With lots and lots of sex in a bakery.”
The premise — two people who follow through on one of those “just in case” marriage agreements and then develop real feelings — taps into a beloved romance genre trope, but with Gay’s literary sensibility and Tatum’s creative instincts steering the ship, this doesn’t sound like a typical entry in the category.
What Impressed Gay Most About Working With Tatum
Tatum isn’t a total newcomer to the publishing world. He previously authored the Sparkella children’s book series, inspired by his and ex Jenna Dewan’s daughter Everly, 12. But a steamy romance novel is a different arena entirely.
Throughout the writing process, Gay has spoken openly about what it’s been like collaborating with one of Hollywood’s biggest names — and she’s been consistently impressed.
“For whatever reason, he is intimately aware of his privilege,” she shared with Vanity Fair in 2023. “He doesn’t apologize for it, which is, frankly, refreshing. Like, you’re an absurdly attractive famous wealthy white man. Please don’t pretend that isn’t great. But he treats people well.”
Equal Pay — and Why Gay Says It Matters
One detail that stood out: Tatum made sure that he and Gay were equally paid for the book.
“To be clear, that is the right thing to do,” Roxane noted. “And we shouldn’t give medals to people for doing the right thing, but at the same time, most people simply don’t do the right thing and it is notable when it happens.”
It’s a small but telling detail about how the partnership operates behind the scenes — and the kind of thing Gay clearly felt was worth pointing out publicly.
When Can You Actually Read It?
Readers eager to get their hands on this one will need to sit tight. Several key details remain unknown, including the official title and which publishing house won the bidding war for the book.
Gay has mentioned that the book is expected to drop hopefully next year, though nothing is set in stone.
For now, the combination of Gay’s sharp, acclaimed voice and Tatum’s unexpected creative range — plus, apparently, a whole lot of bakery-set romance — has already generated serious buzz before a single page has hit shelves.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
