Antonio Banderas has opened up about his relationship with his ex-wife, Melanie Griffith. The former couple we married from 1996 to 2015, during which they welcomed their daughter, Stella, in 1996. Antonio was also a doting stepfather to Melanie's daughter, Dakota Johnson, from her previous marriage.
In an interview with People, Antonio revealed that the pair share a close relationship today, describing Melanie as "if not my best friend, one of my best friends."
"And when I go to Los Angeles, we get together anyway; we have a lot of fun. We laugh and we just... It’s a very healthy thing, and it was very healthy for our kids," he shared. "But the thing is that when we were a couple, when we separated, we were always very sincere. We came out of our relationship in a nice way that was very important for [the kids] and for us."
© WireImageThe actor called Melanie "an unbelievable mother" and shared that he couldn't be prouder of their children. "I see them blossoming and becoming good people," he said.
Antonio Banderas' relationship with his children
During an exclusive interview with HELLO! last year, Antonio shared a rare insight into his bond with his daughters and how they have respectively forged their successful career paths.
© Getty ImagesHis youngest, Stella, is making a name for herself in the production industry. "Stella is not so much of an actress," Antonio explained in an exclusive interview with HELLO!. "She wants to be behind the camera, and she's driving herself into that. She has made some commercials. She's now doing short movies, and I suppose that she is going to end up doing a feature film, but she's too shy to be in front of the camera. She prefers to be behind it."
© Getty"Dakota is the opposite. Dakota just jumps in front of the camera," shared Antonio who helped raise Dakota during his marriage to Melanie. "It's difficult to just give advice. If they ask you, you just kind of put on the table whatever your experience has been in situations that are the same or talk about the characters," he said.
© FilmMagicAntonio continued: "But they have their own approach. Dakota created her own world, and that's the healthier way to do it than just to be 'Mami, Papi'. No, she needs to get out of the house, find her own way, and that's what she did, and we are very proud of her."
