Channing Tatum posted a moving tribute on social media Thursday mourning to mark the loss of his “first best friend,” Corey Vaughn.
“Rip Corey I’ll never forget your crazy ass. I love you with all my heart,” he captioned the post.
“I’ll never forget his crazy ass and how he stuck up for and protected me when I first moved to Mississippi. He’d a fought anybody. All the laughs and trouble we go in,” Tatum said.
While he reminisced about more of the times they shared together, the 38-year-old said his friend’s death served as a sad reminder that life is so short.
“I’ll never be able to see that smile of his again in this life,” he said. “And it just made me need to remind everybody don’t put off anything. Seeing a friend, or even calling or texting. You never know what’s next.”
Alongside the sweet message, Tatum also posted a childhood photo of himself and Vaughn in football uniforms.
Zoe Kravitz commented on the photo, writing “Smooth travels Corey.” Jenna Dewan also remembered Corey in the comments, saying “RIP Corey. All the love in the world to his family right now.”
Tatum and Dewan announced their separation in April after nine years of marriage. The two also have one daughter together, named Everly.
“We have lovingly chosen to separate as a couple. We fell deeply in love so many years ago and have had a magical journey together,” the statement said.
“Absolutely nothing has changed about how much we love one another, but love is a beautiful adventure that is taking us on different paths for now,” it continued. “There are no secrets nor salacious events at the root of our decision — just two best-friends realizing it’s time to take some space and help each other live the most joyous, fulfilled lives as possible.”
