Last Friday afternoon, we covered the somewhat surprising news that Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas were divorcing after 18 years of marriage. Melanie wants spousal support and custody of their 17-year-old daughter and has hired attorney Laura Wasser. After the news broke, the former couple issued the (obligatory) amicable joint statement: “We have thoughtfully and consensually decided to finalize our almost twenty years marriage in a loving and friendly manner honoring and respecting each other, our family and friends and the beautiful time we have spent together.”
It’s only been a few days, but whispers have circulated all over the place. People spoke to a source who says, “They have had issues for awhile.” The source says the split did not come as a surprise to anyone who knows Antonio and Melanie. They have spent a lot of time apart over the years, and there are hints of previous separations. Antonio’s constant schedule of international travel comes up as a possible reason for “fights” because “he began to live his own life away from her.” Translation: Antonio was probably getting something on the side.
As if on cue, Radar Online dug up this photo of Antonio dancing with co-star Ashley Burn on the red carpet at Cannes this year:
Antonio is a dancer. The dude loves to dance. He dances with people from the audience when he visits late night talk shows. It’s his thing. He did a twirly twirl with a co-star in front of everyone at Cannes, and that doesn’t mean that Ashley Burn is “the other woman.” Still … Ashley was happy to talk to Radar. She says Anthony confided his marriage troubles to her. “In Cannes he was saying that he was trying to fix the marriage. He’s deeply in love with [Melanie] … In Cannes he was sad.” Ashley also says of Antonio, “He’s more like a dad to me.”
Here’s what I think happened: Both Melanie and Antonio were a mess together or apart. She had some addiction problems, and he couldn’t keep it in his pants. He’s been cheating for so many years even though Ashley probably wasn’t one of his conquests. Melanie and Antonio stuck together until their daughter was almost an adult, and now the wait is over. Melanie finally had enough.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet, Getty & WENN
20 years is forever for anyone’s marriage, really. I hope we see Melanie more often now.
Who knows. My impression has always been that he’s a cheater and that just because he married Melanie it didn’t mean he had changed his ways at all. He just seemed less than trustworthy to me and I could kinda see why she always seemed to insecure. How exhausting.
Exhausting is right. And maybe one day she just realized that it was never going to change, no matter what she did. This will be hard, but maybe she’ll gain some peace.
Melanie has attracted very handsome men since she was a teenager. She was very beautiful and you never hear her saying an unkind word about anyone. Melanie seems very kind hearted, but has addiction issues. I hope she is well.
“she just realized that it was never going to change,”
ah the he may have cheated on his first with me, but I’m so special and our love is so great that he’s done cheating delusion has crushed many a soul
of course, between her drug issues and multiple previous marriages/divorces, I doubt the marital discord is completely one-sided
Agreed, the Douche has always been strong in Antonio. And Melanie seems to crave stability so much she’ll put up with most dramas. Same story with Don Johnson. A serial cheat but she somehow managed to marry him twice. Heres to her finally empowering herself.
Well he did leave his first wife for her so I’m not surprised he’s a cheater. MeAnn Rimes take a look at your future.
What is the evidence that puss in boots had a side kitty? I was among those surprised that drug addled Melanie Griffith could land such a hot guy at the time. Her looks have been ruined with drugs and bad plastic surgery for years. He should get points for staying so long.
Drugs (cocaine I presume?) also ruined her mind. Last time I saw her speak on camera, if I hadn’t known better, I would have thought she was a 90 year old with advanced dementia.
There’s no evidence for all the years they were married. The last couple of years he’s been spotted with actual photos of hanging with women at bars, etc. But that’s the last couple of years when it seems their marriage has been on the rocks. People like to say he’s cheated the whole marriage. I’ve only ever heard real buzz about that the last two years and photos of hanging with other women.
I agree @Brionne – there are few things less attractive in a relationship than an insecure partner. The more insecure the person becomes the farther the other person runs.
I don’t think he was though. I know on Lainey last year she posted that Antonio kept begging her to stop with the plastic surgery. I think the main issue was that he was younger than her and still considered hot and she was insecure. She was on set during Evita and Zorro acting jealous from reports way back then.
Not to mention Original Sin.
Yet Melanie “landed” three hot guys. Does anyone remember Steven Bauer? He was her husband once too.
@escapedconvent — Yes! I always thought even by Hollywood actress beauty standards Melanie had something especially attractive to land 3 such hot men.
But a handsome husband is a mixed blessing……
I loved him with Catherine ZJ in Zorro — great chemistry. Now she’s a mess too sadly.
Has there ever been proof from the past 18 years that he cheated? I’m not saying I don’t believe he is / has been getting around, but has anyone actually come forward or have there been pictures? Is it all just rumor and speculation? Just curious.
Are there stories to back up Antonio’s cheating rumors?
I dunno. Does it ever work when the man is prettier? In his younger days, he was so pretty it was almost hard to look directly at him. I always hate the wife-as-victim narrative, but I think a guy like him – who has constant access to meaningless sex and a self image based on physical beauty – I could see him thinking he had to cheat or what was the point of being Antonio Banderas. But why get married and hurt someone else?
Interesting – I always found him really unattractive, and thought she was stunning. 🙂
Harryg – I kind of wonder if you’re a straight man (just based on the male name combined with preference for the female of the couple in question). Having said that, my SO consider himself mostly straight, but he finds A.B. totally hot.
He was married when they first started dating. He left his first wife to be with her so if he’s a cheater it shouldn’t be a surprise to her.
Good-now she can get that god-awful tattoo lasered off her arm.
Let’s not forget he left his first wife for Melanie. Twenty years is a long time. I feel like with all her problems, he stayed with her a very long time.
Maybe they simply came to realize that they were no longer compatible. It could simply be they were unhappy together and decided jointly that Melanie would file and Antonio would take the hit – be the “bad guy” for a while in the press and let M get some positive & sympathetic press.
that tattoo though….
The tatoo was such a bad idea, I feel for her because she must be insecure because she has always had a man, and this is her longest relationship. She needs to refocus herself on herself and not turn to drugs or another man.
Boy he was pretty when he was younger. . Melanie sadly looks like every other Bev Hills wife with a plastic surgery habit. 🙁 she does have some good looking exs Don Johnson and Steven Bauer (when he was hot) and now Antonio.
I think this girl’s name is Natalie Burn, not Ashley.
There used to be this couple that hung out with our circle. They were married. They were both attractive, but the guy was a bit better looking. His wife was horribly insecure and distrustful. I know this guy. He was not a cheater. He never did anything to provide her with amunition to use against him. He never did anything to provoke her insecurity. She just WAS. I think she even knew her fears were unfounded and irrational, but she couldn’t stop them. She eventually left him because she said it was better to be alone than worry all the time that he would leave her. He never would have left her, but she could not be convinced. They are divorced. He never even went on a date since she left him. She drinks too much and pretends she’s in her 20’s. It’s just such a shame that he had to be punished by her internal demons. It broke up a family and destroyed him. I think she resented him for being good-looking. The whole thing was/is crazy and Melanie reminds me of her.
Didn’t she have a bronze replica of his “manhood” made?
And showed it off to guests?
True or not, I am sure I read that somewhere.
Honestly, I think he really loved her at the beginning but it’s just too hard for people in their jobs – which is all about glamour and phyz attractiveness when you’re shooting and promoting films – to stay married to the same person the whole time. Unless you kind of make and effort to move on to bigger and better things together (Brad and Angie), you’re probably doomed at some time to be attracted to others.
I don’t understand the criticism of Melanie. She went too far with the plastic surgery yes, she hopefully doesn’t smoke anymore (Antonio smokes tho too yes?). But I think she looks fantastic in that black dress.
I have no comment on their marriage or the breakup of their marriage. I seriously have no clue what happened as I was not involved personally.