Antonio Banderas, 65, called his ex-wife Melanie Griffith, 68, “if not my best friend, one of my best friends” in an interview with People published August 6.
Banderas and Griffith first met at the 1989 Oscars, married in 1996, and separated in 2014 before their divorce was finalized in 2015.
They share daughter Stella Banderas, now 29.
“When I go to Los Angeles, we get together anyway, we got a lot of fun,” Banderas shared.
“We laugh and we just…It’s a very healthy thing, and it was very healthy for our kids.”
“When we were a couple, when we separated, we were always very sincere,” he explained about their bond.
The 65-year-old Spy Kids star opened up about his relationship with the Working Girl actress during the recent People interview.
He spoke warmly about Griffith’s other children, Alexander Bauer, Dakota Johnson and stepson Jesse Johnson, praising her as “an unbelievable mother” and saying he’s proud to see them “blossoming and becoming good people.”
Over the weekend earlier this year, the formerly married couple walked arm-in-arm and were all smiles as they left Matsuhisa restaurant after dinner in Los Angeles, with the 65-year-old actor sporting a silver bomber jacket, black pants, and black clogs while the 68-year-old actress wore a black leather jacket, jeans, and a black fingerless gloves.
Joining Antonio and Melanie for dinner was their daughter Stella Banderas and her husband Alex Gruszynski along with Melanie’s son Alexander Bauer.
Antonio captioned an Instagram post from the outing: “A lovely and fun moment yesterday in Los Angeles with my son-in-law Alex, my daughter Stella, and my ex-wife and lifelong friend, Melanie.”
Banderas described one key ingredient to their success as coparents and friends.
“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.”
“I’m a very good friend of my ex-wife. I don’t have anything against her. She’s a wonderful woman and I still respect and support that idea that everything that happened between her and me for 20 years was beautiful,” Banderas told Fox News Digital in November 2023.
When Banderas travels to Los Angeles, reconnecting with his ex-wife is a priority.
“If I go to Los Angeles, the first thing there that I do is call her,” Banderas said.
In the viral moment that captured their bond, Banderas and Griffith were photographed over the weekend at the luxury restaurant Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills, where they had dined together before during their marriage.
The pair met in Los Angeles, the city where Banderas lived throughout their nearly 20-year marriage and where their daughter, Stella del Carmen, now lives with her husband, Alex Gruszynski.
Antonio’s visit provided the perfect excuse for a family gathering at one of the city’s most renowned restaurants, a favorite spot they had visited together before.
The intimate family dinner included not only the former couple and their daughter and son-in-law, but also Griffith’s son Alexander Bauer, underscoring how their blended family has remained connected and supportive through the years.
Banderas has since found love again with investment banker Nicole Kimpel.