Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas in for a high asset divorce

Celebrity divorces are nothing new for most Maryland movie fans. However, many may be shocked by the recent divorce filing by Melanie Griffith. She is seeking a divorce from Antonio Banderas, her husband of 18 years. Although the split is reportedly amicable, with $50 million in assets at stake this has the potential to become a complicated high asset divorce.

Banderas and Griffith, who met on a movie set in 1995, are no strangers to divorce. Banderas was married once before, while Griffith has been divorced three previous times – twice from actor Don Johnson. Griffith stated “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for this divorce. She is seeking sole physical custody of their only child together, a daughter who turns 18 in September. In addition, she is asking for child support and alimony.

Even though money is supposedly not a factor in the divorce, there are millions at stake. Besides income from starring in movies, the high-profile couple also owns real estate, including several homes in the United States and Spain. Banderas is an investor who owns several successful restaurants around the world. California – where the couple lives – is a community property state, which means that some of their assets will be split 50/50. However, with property in other states and countries, asset division could get quite complicated. There will likely be a dispute over who gets what.

If Griffith gets full custody of their daughter, she may be able to keep the marital home. That will depend on what the couple decides, assuming they can reach some sort of agreement out of court. With their child reaching adulthood in just three months, Griffith will likely not get much in child support. If anything, she will likely get a larger percentage of the marital property.

Source: ABC 7 News, “Melanie Griffith files to divorce Antonio Banderas,” June 8, 2014