Melanie was not afraid of taking risks professionally. The move to Broadway paid off, but things didn’t always go that way. ‘American Housewife’, produced by Banderas, was not picked up by Lifetime as anticipated.
She starred in the WB TV series ‘Twins’, which was canceled after one season (2005-2006), and in 2007, she starred in the TV series ‘Viva Laughlin’, which only lasted two episodes. In a seemingly desperate move, she guest-starred on Nip/Tuck and Hot in Cleveland. By 2009 she was back in rehab again. Her publicist called it “part of a routine plan.”
It Ended in Irreconcilable Differences
“We have thoughtfully and consensually decided to finalize our almost twenty years of 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 statement signed “Melanie & Antonio” represents one of the most civil divorces in Hollywood history. Though Melanie filed for divorce in 2014, the two remain close friends.
The 'Shrek' star said love doesn’t end with divorce. They share Stella together and a united front. “I will love that woman until the day I die,” Banderas says. They spent 18 years together after critics opined it wouldn’t last six months. Although, even Mel had her reservations. She shared with Porter Magazine that she feared the relationship was doomed from the get-go.
A New Friend
Singles’ life brought Melanie a new friendship. Not another man. This time she found friendship with Kris Jenner, who she met up with after befriending her daughter, Khloe Kardashian, at the gym. Khloe and Mel shared the same gym trainer.
Soon after, on Instagram, Kris emoted, “I couldn’t be more obsessed with Melanie Griffith. Go follow her sweet soul. I’m in love with this hot mama.” Khloe was instrumental in bringing the friendship together. She just knew her mom would be great friends with another mom who shared her interests.
Facing Criticism
It was around 2011 when the Academy Award nominee started receiving cruel comments on social media about a botched plastic surgery. At the time she said, “Most people are telling me I look horrible.” Adding, “The tweets I get are really nasty.”
She went on to explain that people were saying, “'Oh my God, what has she done?!' I was so hurt.” Then, in 2017, she opened up with Porter saying that her former doctor had made some mistakes and that a new doctor was correcting those.
Repairing a Plastic Surgeon’s Mess
The media was tough on her, but she stood her ground. Standing up for aging women on Larry King Live, she told him the story about how Revlon had moved her to the “age-defying” line when she was just 34 years old.
When she had to deal with the botched surgery, it turned out that the previous doctor had been injecting Botox into her face. The new surgeon worked with her to remove it. Apparently, the claims that Botox would stop the aging process were untrue.