Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith ended their marriage more than a decade ago. However, the Hollywood stars have managed to keep something many former couples struggle to maintain. According to Banderas, they are still among each other’s closest friends today.
Antonio Banderas says ex-wife Melanie Griffith remains one of his best friends more than a decade after their divorce
The Tony star recently opened up about his relationship with Griffith and shared that the two have remained close ever since their divorce. Speaking to People, Banderas called his ex-wife “if not my best friend, one of my best friends.”
The actor revealed they still make time for each other whenever he’s in Los Angeles. “When I go to Los Angeles, we get together anyway, we got a lot of fun,” he said. “We laugh and we just… It’s a very healthy thing, and it was very healthy for our kids.”
Banderas and Griffith first met at the Oscars in 1989. They later reunited while filming the 1995 romantic comedy Two Much before marrying in 1996. Their daughter, Stella Banderas, was born later that year. Griffith filed for divorce in 2014, and the split was finalized in 2015.
Looking back, Banderas said honesty played a major role in helping them preserve their friendship after the marriage ended. “When we were a couple, when we separated, we were always very sincere,” he explained. “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 parenting, describing her as “an unbelievable mother.” He added that watching their children grow into good people has been one of life’s greatest rewards.
The former couple has continued to show they remain on good terms. Earlier this year, they were spotted enjoying dinner together in Los Angeles. They also posed for a family photo alongside Stella and her husband, Alex Gruszynski.
Banderas has also reflected on how his outlook on life changed following his 2017 heart attack. In a separate interview, he described the medical emergency as “the best thing that ever happened” to him because it helped him stop worrying about unimportant things and focus on living in the moment.
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