Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith’s Tumultuous On-Off Marriage: Cheating and Frequent Splits

Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith have a storied history, marked by both love and turbulence. Their on-again, off-again relationship has seen two weddings and multiple splits, making it one of Hollywood’s most talked-about romances.

The couple first crossed paths in the early 1970s, when Don was 22 and Melanie was just 14. Fast forward to January 1976, and they tied the knot, shortly after living together for three years. However, their fairytale was marred by complications right from the start. Johnson openly confessed to cheating on Griffith just before their wedding. He recalled that he had spent the night before their nuptials with ex-Miss World Marjorie Wallace and phoned Melanie in the early hours to profess his love, leading to their impulsive Vegas marriage.

Not long after their wedding, the couple’s challenges became apparent as they divorced just six months later. Following their separation, Melanie quickly moved on, dating Ryan O’Neal before eventually marrying Steven Bauer. Meanwhile, Don found himself involved with Patti D’Arbanville and later had a romance with Barbra Streisand.

A surprising turn came in 1989 when Johnson and Griffith reconnected after her stint in rehab. Their rekindled romance led to a second marriage in June of that year during a small ceremony on their Aspen ranch. At the time, Melanie expressed the depth of their bond, saying, “There was always this connection… 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.”

The couple welcomed their first and only child together, Dakota Johnson, in October 1989. Although Dakota eventually pursued acting, her parents initially had reservations about her career choice, wanting her to have a normal childhood.

However, just a few years later, in 1994, the couple filed for divorce once again, citing irreconcilable differences. Melanie reflected on the split, stating, “It is hard for me to imagine life without him. But we are changing in different ways.” While both moved on to other marriages—Melanie with Antonio Banderas and Don with Kelley Phleger—the two maintained a friendship. Don once remarked, “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.”

Their journey together is a fascinating narrative of love, loss, and enduring friendship, highlighting what many consider one of Hollywood’s quintessential romances.