Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith separated back in 2015 after nearly 20 years together, but for Banderas, there is no lost love between them. Banderas believes there are still warm feelings between the two actors -- even though they are no longer romantically intertwined -- and he's grateful for the extended time they spent together as lovers, despite their fractured marriage. He even went so far as to say that he'll still hold loving regards for her even until the day he leaves this Earth, believing that his love for Griffith will be there as long as he is with us. As the actor put it:
Melanie is my dear friend and she just texted me. She was really sorry that I didn't win. So we're going to see each other this week because she's still my family and my kids... I will love that woman until the day I die.
The quote came from Entertainment Tonight. The outlet caught up with the veteran performer on the red carpet for Life Itself, the actor's latest film. Antonio Banderas was asked about his recent loss for Outstanding Actor in a Limited Series this past Monday, for which Banderas was nominated for his portrayal of Pablo Picasso in the second season of Genius. The recognized actor ultimately lost to Darren Criss for his work in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. He claims Melanie Griffith sent him a text expressing her remorse for him walking home empty-handed that evening, and he appears to be grateful not only for Griffith reaching out to him during that vulnerable moment, but for the prolonged relationship they shared.
Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith were married in 1996, and they stayed together until separating only a few years earlier. They starred in two movies together: the 1995 romantic comedy Two Much, alongside Daryl Hannah, and 2014's dystopian action-thriller Automata. At one point, the actor and his wife-at-the-time were going to work together on the film Akil, a love story he wrote and planned to direct with Griffith to star. He previously directed the actress in his 1999 directorial debut, Crazy in Alabama. The Hollywood couple shares one child together, 21-year-old Stella Banderas. While they are no longer together, the break-up was widely considered "amicable," and they appear to be at least pretty good friends throughout this whole ordeal. Griffith also expressed fond memories of her time with Banderas in a recent interview. And thankfully, Banderas is not lovelorn. He is currently in a relationship with his girlfriend, Nicole Kimpel. Rumor has it they might soon be engaged, although if that happens, Banderas claims it will happen in private, away from the cameras and the leering eyes of the wandering public.
Additionally, Antonio Banderas was asked about Melanie Griffith's recent health scare, where she recently had skin cancer removed from her nose. It was when he was asked about this recent health crisis that Banderas utter his line about loving Melanie Griffith for the foreseeable future. It's evident that while they are no longer an official couple, they are not bitter about their break-up. If anything, they might still be in love with each other, even if they are no longer an item in the eyes of the laws. There's perhaps a bittersweet beauty to the idea of Antonio Banderas holding these tender feelings.
Life Itself enters theaters this weekend.
