Jenna Dewan Writes About Newfound 'Strength' After Finalizing Channing Tatum Divorce: 'Fresh Start'

Jenna Dewan writes in an InStyle essay that she "learned a lot about myself, my resilience and my voice" during 2024

Jenna Dewan is reflecting on her "fresh start" going into the new year.

In a new essay for InStyle published Wednesday, Jan. 22, The Rookie actress writes about her personal takeaways from 2024, which saw the finalization of her divorce from ex-husband Channing Tatum six years after they separated.

"This past year I learned that life has a way of bringing you exactly what you need to learn at exactly the right time," wrote Dewan, 44, adding, "The transitions weren’t just changes; they were invitations to grow, to lean into the discomfort and discover the strength I didn’t know I had."

Though she doesn't mention Tatum by name or their divorce in the essay, Dewan added that she "learned a lot about myself, my resilience and my voice" in 2024: "Fresh starts, I’ve realized, don’t wait for calendars or big proclamations. They happen in the quiet choices: forgiving yourself, showing up again, trusting the process even when it feels hopeless."

Related: Jenna Dewan Says She's 'Grateful' for Fiancé Steve Kazee in Birthday Post: 'Here's to All the Years Ahead' 

Now, Dewan is "not searching for perfection but for presence," she added, saying, "Each fresh chapter is a gift waiting to be unwrapped."

"I am so grateful for my family, the love and presence of my partner, Steve, and the adventures we will have this year. I see some travel, lots of family laughs, and, most importantly, maybe a wedding finally!" she added in the InStyle essay, written before the Los Angeles wildfires.

Step Up costars Tatum, 44, and Dewan split up in 2018 after nearly nine years of marriage, and Dewan filed for divorce in October 2018. They share daughter Everly, 11. Dewan and fiancé Steve Kazee announced their engagement in February 2020. They share two kids: Callum, 4½, and baby Rhiannon, 7 months.

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In a September 2024 Instagram post, just about one week after reaching a divorce settlement with Tatum, Dewan wrote, "There is no greater force than a woman who stands in her power, who knows her worth."

"Never underestimate the value of your hard work and contributions," she continued at the time. "We rise by lifting each other up with love and grace. And when we do so, the rest falls into place."

A source told PEOPLE that same month that Dewan was "relieved" and "ready to move on" from the divorce, which was a "drawn-out and sometimes frustrating situation."