hollywood couple

Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith’s secret wedding: 12 guests, taxi escape, and a love story that still connects them today

Their connection was immediate, though complicated by the fact that Banderas was still married.

MAY 15, 2026 3:27 PM EDTMAY 15, 2026, 3:27 PM EDT

On May 14, 1996, Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith surprised everyone by getting married in London. Two of Hollywood’s brightest stars, they sealed a love story that had begun a few years earlier on the set of 'Two Much.'

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Three decades later, although they separated in 2014, their relationship continues to occupy a place in the public imagination of film and celebrity culture.

The wedding was a discreet affair in a city that was foreign to both of them, with no photographers present and only around 12 guests in attendance.

Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith got married in 1996, remaining together for many years — On May 14, 1996, Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith surprised everyone by getting married in London.

Years later, Melanie Griffith recalled that the couple managed to slip away from paparazzi by taking taxis between locations, entering hotels through side or back entrances, and even briefly finding themselves without cash when it came time to pay a fare, describing the situation as a chaotic but amusing series of mishaps.

The ceremony stood in stark contrast to typical Hollywood spectacle. Understated, improvised, and notably undocumented in any public photographs. In many ways, the unpredictability of the wedding reflected the turbulent beginnings of their relationship.

Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith — The actors were married for 20 years

Banderas and Griffith met in 1995 while filming 'Two Much.' Their connection was immediate, though complicated by the fact that Banderas was still married to Spanish actress Ana Leza after having recently arrived in Hollywood. At the same time, Griffith had returned to Don Johnson, with whom she shares a daughter, Dakota Johnson.

What initially appeared to be an unlikely romance soon developed into one of Hollywood’s most closely followed relationships. Both actors ended their respective marriages, and not long after, they announced they were expecting a child together.

'My Ex-Wife and Lifelong Friend': Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith reunite with daughter Stella — the photo is stunning — For two decades, the couple remained one of Hollywood’s most visible and admired partnerships. In 2014, they announced their separation.

Their daughter, Stella del Carmen Banderas, was born on September 24, 1996, in Marbella, a location that became a regular family retreat and a place where Griffith found a sense of stability.

For two decades, the couple remained one of Hollywood’s most visible and admired partnerships. In 2014, they announced their separation.

Stella Banderas shelters mom Melanie Griffith after LA Fires, reports Antonio Banderas — Their daughter, Stella del Carmen Banderas, was born on September 24, 1996, in Marbella, a location that became a regular family retreat and a place where Griffith found a sense of stability.

An amicable chapter:

The divorce was carried out quietly and without public controversy. Griffith later explained in interviews that she felt personally constrained during the marriage and said she wanted to ensure she would not feel similarly limited in the future, expressing a desire to live with greater freedom and autonomy.

Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith walk arm in arm after sweet declarations: 'My ex-wife and lifelong friend' — Three decades later, although they separated in 2014, their relationship continues to occupy a place in the public imagination of film and celebrity culture.

Since the separation, both have maintained what they have described as a friendly and respectful relationship. Their daughter Stella has remained the central link between them.

Melanie Griffith shares romantic photos starring Antonio banderas and other ex-husbands — Since the separation, both have maintained what they have described as a friendly and respectful relationship. Their daughter Stella has remained the central link between them.

More recently, Banderas shared a family photograph on Instagram showing himself alongside his daughter, his son-in-law, and his former wife.

In his caption, he described the moment as a pleasant and joyful gathering in Los Angeles with his daughter, son-in-law Alex, and his ex-wife and longtime friend Melanie Griffith, highlighting the warmth of their continued connection.

The same group had appeared together months earlier at the wedding of Stella del Carmen Banderas and Alex Gruszynski, held on October 14, 2025, at the historic monastery of La Abadía de Retuerta in Valladolid.

Unlike the couple’s spontaneous London wedding decades earlier, this ceremony was an elegant, carefully planned celebration with a distinctly Spanish character.