Melanie Griffith filed for divorce from Antonio Banderas, her husband of 18 years, citing irreconcilable differences.

Melanie Griffith Asks For Spousal Support

Griffith and Banderas were married in 1996 and have one daughter together, Stella, 17. According to the divorce fillings, Griffith is requesting sole physical custody of their daughter, joint legal custody, child support and spousal support. Stella will turn 18 in September, so the custody requests could have little to no effect when the divorce is finalized.

“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,” the couple said in a statement.

Melanie Griffith's 2009 Rehab Stint

The longtime couple has been plagued with break-up rumors for years, especially since Griffith’s 2009 stint in rehab. Speaking on her time in rehab and how it affected her relationship with Banderas, Griffith admitted that she sometimes wanted more support from her husband.

“Antonio was supportive to the extent that he can be, but if you’re not an alcoholic or drug addict, and you find out that your wife is a bad one, it’s hard to deal with.… I wish he would go to a meeting with me or to Al-Anon, but it’s very foreign to him. Addiction runs in my family, but not in his,” she said in 2011.

Regardless, the couple insisted that they were still in love and happily married. In fact, sources say that the separation has been amicable – an exact date of separation was not specified in the divorce fillings.

This will be Griffith’s fourth divorce, she was previously married to Don Johnson twice – the two are parents to 50 Shades of Grey actress Dakota Johnson – and once to Steve Bauer, with whom she had a son, Alexander. Banderas was previously married to Ana Leza and the two divorced in 1996.

Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.