Inside Secrets of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith's Insane On-Off Marriage: From Cheating on Eve of Wedding to Constant Splits
Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith tied the knot twice, but both unions ended up in divorce.
Oct. 25 2024, Published 9:30 p.m. ET
Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith Wed in 1976
Johnson admitted to cheating on Griffith before getting married.
Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith, who met in 1972 when they were 22 and 14, respectively, tied the knot in January 1976. They had moved in together three years before the wedding ceremony.
However, the Django Unchained actor later admitted to cheating on Griffith before they exchanged vows.
Johnson said: "I had been with [ex-Miss World] Marjorie Wallace most of the night [before the wedding]. Melanie called at about four or five in the morning. We professed undying love and flew to Las Vegas and got married."
Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith Filed for Divorce After a Few Months
Six months after marrying, the couple divorced.
Six months after their wedding, Johnson and Griffith divorced and moved on with other people.
The Days Out of Days actress dated Ryan O'Neal before marrying Steven Bauer. Meanwhile, Johnson began a relationship with Patti D'Arbanville and later struck up a romance with Barbra Streisand.
They Got Married Again in 1989
Johnson rekindled his relationship with Griffith following her stint in rehab.
While dating Streisand in late 1988, Johnson rekindled his relationship with Griffith following her stint in rehab.
The pair then remarried in an intimate ceremony at their Aspen ranch in June 1989.
Speaking with People at the time, the Twins alum said: "Everything is better now because of all of that. We were always friends, and we always stayed in touch. There was always this connection. I can't explain it. It's almost like soulmates. I believe some relationships are fated, and ours was probably one of them. I'll always love him. He was my first love."
Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith Welcomed a Baby After Their Second Wedding
In 1989, the couple welcomed their first child together, Dakota.
On October 4, 1989, Melanie and Don welcomed their first and only child together, Dakota Johnson.
Although she followed in their footsteps, the parents initially discouraged the Fifty Shades of Grey actress from acting.
Dakota told W: "See how well that turned out? But I understood. They wanted me to have as much of a childhood as I could."
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Melanie Griffith Filed for Divorce From Don Johnson Again
In 1994, the couple filed for divorce again.
In 1994, Melanie and Don filed for divorce again, citing irreconcilable differences.
The Golden Gate actress said: "It is hard for me to imagine life without him. But we are changing in different ways."
Following their split, the ex-couple remarried other people but remained friends. Melanie tied the knot with Antonio Banderas in 1996, while Don wed nursery school teacher Kelley Phleger in 1999.
Don said of his marriage to Melanie: "Some people are just meant to be together, and I think that was true for Melanie and me, so we got married twice. I don't believe that if you love someone, that love dies – it changes and becomes something else."
