Antonio Banderas calls ex-wife Melanie Griffith a close friend

Actor Antonio Banderas told People that, more than a decade after their 2015 divorce, he still regards ex‑wife Melanie Griffith as one of his best friends. He said they meet whenever he is in Los Angeles, share laughs and consider the friendship “very healthy” for their children. The pair first met at the 1989 Oscars, married in May 1996 and welcomed daughter Stella that same year. Griffith’s other children – Dakota Johnson, Alexander Bauer and others – also remain part of Banderas’s extended family. Recent public sightings include a dinner together in Los Angeles in April 2026 and a family photo with Stella and her husband Alex Gruszynski. Banderas praised Griffith as “an unbelievable mother” and highlighted the sincere, amicable way they ended their marriage, which he says helped their kids thrive.