Melanie Griffith: Rehab Brought Antonio Banderas and Me Closer Together

By PopEater Staff Posted Apr 23rd 2010 10:06AM

Melanie Griffith has struggled with substance abuse for decades and entered rehab for the third time last August. While medical treatment has helped starve her addictions, Griffith reveals Antonio Banderas, to whom she has been married for nearly 14 years, was her biggest cheerleader during her struggle. Griffith even admits her recent trip to rehab actually brought them closer together. "He did everything," Griffith told PEOPLE. "He has been an amazing man."

Last August, Griffith entered rehab for the third time, following stints in 1988 and 2000. She has battled with substance abuse problems for over a decade and admitted to having problems with cocaine, liquor and painkillers.

Rumors about difficulties in her marriage have been circulating for years, but Banderas has dismissed the reports.

Instead, Banderas stuck by Griffith's side and helped her through her latest struggle to stay sober. "The entire family participated in the process of rehabilitation. We went to the place where she was doing it, we participated in all the therapies ... everything, everybody in the family. It's tough, but at the same time, very rewarding," Banderas said. "It's tough."

Griffith first met Banderas while filming 'Two Much.' She left husband Don Johnson for her new leading man and married Banderas on May 14, 1996. They have one child together, Stella Banderas.

Banderas admits he's not ashamed of Griffith's addictions and loves her unconditionally, even if it means facing a deadly problem head on. "I just say to families, 'Don't get embarrassed, just confront this problem head-on. And don't hide from that because there is a beautiful gift at the end of this tunnel, and it is the person that you love back, and that is what I am searching for. So the whole entire family is supporting her, and I am supporting her, and at this particular time more than ever. I'm very proud of her," he said back in 2009 (via SFGate.)

Since "starving the monster" of addiction, Griffith says she's doing wonderful. Even Banderas admits he couldn't be happier. "There were people who literally didn't give us more than six months!" Banderas said. "But we love each other, and above all we love our family. We've figured out how to get past obstacles ... and if you get past those, you only get stronger."

Griffith says she has kicked the habit. "Now I feel free," she says. "I don't drink. I don't take pills. Nothing. And it's fantastic. It's like getting out of prison," she tells ¡Hola! magazine (via PEOPLE).

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Tags: Antonio Banderas, melanie griffith

Comments

(101)

Friday 23 April

By anita

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melanie griffith is married to antonio benderes?!?

Sunday 25 April

By joy aprill

you must have been living in a cave!
ignorant

Friday 25 November

By Sian O'Hara

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duh...for like 15 years! where have you been? solitary??

By Sandy

The cutlines are really funny. She's looking in the trunk of her car, at a parking meter, etc., and they all say she's "talking to a street musician."

By themeeker

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Must be a really really short street musician!

By adele

SO TRUE & they do it all the time. At the meter she's in front of the IVY & the ONE pic with the musician is on the SM Promenade. & These get paid for? I could take em AND label them correctly at least ehehehe

By RoeC

Maybe she keeps the musician in her trunk? and a picture of him in her wallet..hey drugs do weird things to people...LOL

Sunday 13 June

By Dempster

Duh, have you never seen street musicians?? Sometimes, they are sitting down, playing a flute, etc...!!! Melanie could be speaking to him/her while the person is sitting down!

By PJ

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GOOD LUCK Melanie. On the other subject of Sandra Bullock, meeting with that bimbo MCGEE< Why would she WANT TO DO THAT??

Antonio saved her from her chemical addictions but not her addiction to plastic surgery. Tragic looking woman these days.

By ascencionataustin

All exterior things aside (plastic surgery) I never really thought that much of Antonio until I observed how he has lived through these hard times with Melanie. It says worlds about the character of this man when he could easily have other women if he chose to do that. Instead his spirit shines and makes him so much greater of a human being, man, husband and example to us all as to how to deal with life. I respect you tremendously/ Ascencion from Austin
If you look better then Melanie then you might express a bit of humility and not impose judgment on others.

By Georgia

themeeker, I agree with you 100%, she looks terrible! Whoever her plastic surgeon is, he/she needs to be fired and go back to medical school. They botched her lips up really bad, almost as bas as Lisa Rinna! Maybe that is why she was on drugs, she wanted to forget that her plastic surgery to look good made her look so bad. I wish her well!

By Jill

has melanie looked in the mirror lately? with those fake breasts, lips and many facial alterations..its scary. she once said she would keep doing it to hold on to antonio becasue she was afraid he would leave her for someone younger, thinner..prettier..how about some self respect and a good shrink

By dp6195

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Melanie Griffith: Rehab Brought Antonio Banderas and I Closer Together - It is NOT "Banderas and I". Proper grammar in that sentence is "Banderas and me." Why can't people get it through their thick heads!?!

By anni

Because it sounds better. Ben and me. Ben and I, are going to the store. Ben and I sounds better, although not correct. And a tomato is a fruit. Get over it.

By Jane

THANK GOD someone else knows that not every sentence where two people are mentioned requires the "and I." People THINK they sound proper and more intelligent by using it, but they just sound stupid because it's obvious they have no idea what they're doing!

Saturday 24 April

By yvonne

Ani and Jane, what are talking about? "Ben and I are going to the store" IS the correct grammar. "I" is correctly used as the subject of the verb. (Here's the test: Take out "Ben" and then use the sentence--would you say "Me is going to the store" or "I am going to the store"?) And dp6195 is correct in that the proper grammar is "Rehab Brought Antonio Banderas and me closer together" because "me" is the object of the verb. Many areas of the English language are fluid; this isn't one of them.

Just use me and I where you're supposed to and stop being reverse elitists by implying that only snobs use "I".

By Lucilleie

YOU are incorrect! It is correct in the story! The headline is not a quote from her. It's the title. And usually they are taken out of context, sometimes just to shorten the quote.
YOU all are the DOOFUSES!
BEN and I are going to the store... IS IS IS correct!
YEESH...

By TR

Banderas and I is proper grammar

By SLM

Who the hell died and made you the grammar police, says I?

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