NEWSAntonio Banderas Calls Ex-Wife Melanie Griffith 'One of My Best Friends' More Than a Decade After Divorce
Antonio Banderas called ex-wife Melanie Griffith 'one of my best friends' more than a decade after their divorce.
Aug. 7 2026, Updated 12:23 p.m. ET
Antonio Banderas reflected on his friendship with his ex-wife, Melanie Griffith, more than a decade after their divorce.
He told People that Griffith is "if not my best friend, one of my best friends."
Banderas and Griffith first met at the Oscars in 1989. Their relationship developed after they worked together on the 1995 romantic comedy Two Much. The pair married in May 1996 and welcomed their daughter, Stella, later that year.
Griffith filed for divorce in June 2014, and their separation was finalized in December 2015.
Antonio Banderas Opened Up About His Bond With Melanie Griffith
Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith first met at the Oscars in 1989, later working together on 'Two Much.'
While discussing his upcoming film Tony, a biopic about the late chef Anthony Bourdain, Banderas opened up about the friendship he and Griffith maintained and how they still spent time together.
"And when I go to Los Angeles, we get together anyway, we got a lot of fun. We laugh and we just... It’s a very healthy thing, and it was very healthy for our kids," he revealed.
Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith were spotted together while having dinner in Los Angeles in April 2026.
Banderas said their honest approach to both their marriage and separation helped them maintain a strong connection.
"But the thing is that when we were as couple, when we separated, we were always very sincere," he admitted.
He added, "We came out of our relationship in a nice way that was very important for [the kids] and for us."
The actor also praised Griffith’s role as "an unbelievable mother" and shared how happy he was to see their children grow.
"I see them blossoming and becoming good people," Banderas revealed.
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The Former Couple Continued to Support Each Other
Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith posed for a family photo shared on Instagram with their daughter Stella Banderas and her husband Alex Gruszynski.
Per People, the former couple was spotted having dinner together in Los Angeles in April, walking arm-in-arm.
That same month, Banderas and Griffith posed in a family photo shared via Instagram with their daughter, Stella, and her husband, Alex Gruszynski.
Despite ending their marriage, the two continued to celebrate important family moments together.
Antonio Banderas Reflected on Life After His Heart Attack
Antonio Banderas reflected on his 2017 heart attack and shared how the experience changed his outlook on life.
Elsewhere in his conversation with People, Banderas reflected on his 2017 heart attack and how the moment changed and impacted his outlook.
"My heart attack was the best thing that ever happened in my life," Banderas said.
"It was like somebody put glasses on me so I could see the reality that I didn’t see before," he continued. "I was just too worried about stupid things. We sometimes forget that we are going to die."
Banderas added that the health scare changed what he wanted to focus on moving forward.
"People live like they are not going to die. They collect things and they collect. I don’t want to collect anything. I want to just experience. The only thing that I am interested in now is in the experience of living," he concluded.
