Melanie Griffith's 4 Children: All About Jesse, Alexander, Dakota and Stella

There is no better role for Melanie Griffith than mom.

The actress is the mother of four children: she shares her son Alexander Bauer with her ex-husband Steven Bauer, daughter Dakota Johnson and stepson Jesse Johnson with her ex Don Johnson, and daughter Stella Banderas with her ex-husband Antonio Banderas.

Melanie has remained close to her children’s fathers, telling PEOPLE in 2020, “All three of them are my friends. I love them with all my heart.”

She also said their “possibilities are endless” now that her children are grown. “I took this time to figure out my future,” the actress said, adding that she spent her days working on a memoir and “looking through all the photos and heirlooms I have as a result of my family, my children, my husbands.”

Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas’ Relationship: A Look Back

In July 2023, Melanie showed her love for her children with a new tattoo. The ink — which replaced her ’90s-era tattoo honoring her then-husband Antonio — featured the first names of her four children in a crossword-style design.

Here’s everything you need to know about Melanie Griffith’s four children, Jesse, Alexander, Dakota and Stella

Jesse Johnson, 41

Jesse Johnson and Melanie Griffith at the ‘How to be Single’ screening on February 3, 2016.

Krista Kennell/Variety/Penske Media/Getty

Don and his then-partner Patti D’Arbanville welcomed their son Jesse on December 7, 1982. When Don remarried Melanie in 1989 (they had previously been married for six months in 1976), she became Jesse’s stepmother.

Jesse grew up in Aspen, Colorado, and shares his love for the outdoors and sports. “I had the privilege of going to these great schools that prided themselves on a really extensive outdoor curriculum so I got to do things like whitewater kayaking as an elective,” he said in a 2009 interview with Top Cat Films.

Throughout his childhood and youth, Jesse attended several public events with Melanie and Don, including a movie premiere Hook in 1991 and a charity event in 1997.

The Miami Vice the actor’s first child followed in his footsteps, debuting as a teenager in Don’s hit TV series Nash Bridges. Jesse later studied theater at Occidental College in Los Angeles, graduating in 2004 and appearing in popular series including Hawaii Five-0, Twin Peaks, Grey’s Anatomy and NCIS. He is also a musician.

Melanie and Jesse also continued to have a relationship. In 2016, the couple was photographed spending Christmas together in Aspen, and in 2022, Melanie shared photos on Instagram from a large family Thanksgiving celebration, which Jesse was also at.

Alexander Bauer, 38

Alexander Bauer and his sister Dakota Johnson at the opening night of ‘No Way Around But Through’ on June 2, 2012 in Burbank, California.

David Livingston/Getty

Alexander Griffith Bauer was born to Melanie and her second husband Steven on August 22, 1985. The parents met on set before marrying in 1981. They finalized their divorce in 1989.

Growing up, Alexander lived in LA with his mom and siblings. After his parents divorced, Steven had another son, Dylan Bauer, in 1990. Meanwhile, Melanie married twice more and gave Alexander two sisters, Dakota and Stella.

Despite having two actor parents, Alexander mostly stayed out of the limelight, acting, writing and filming for just two projects between 2013 and 2015.

Melanie often shares photos of Alexander. In 2019, she shared a tribute to her two sons on Instagram. “Happy National Sons Day ♥️ These amazing boys,” she wrote alongside a carousel of photos of Jesse and Alexander. “I love you both so much.”

In another post, she shared a memory of a photo of her and her younger son spending quality time together. “Rolling with my Dude Alexander 😘 1998,” she captioned the shot.

Dakota Johnson, 34

Dakota Johnson at the Sundance Institute’s Inaugural Opening Night: A Taste Of Sundance on January 19, 2023 in Park City, Utah.

Michael Loccisano/Getty

After separating from Steven, Melanie reunited with her first husband, Don, and the couple had a daughter, Dakota, on October 4, 1989.

The newest addition to the blended family was born in Austin, Texas, where her father was filming at the time. Dakota grew up in Colorado and California, but as both her parents worked as actors, she spent a lot of time moving from place to place.

Speaking with Vanity Fair In 2022, she opened up about her childhood. “My life is incredibly lucky and privileged, and the life I led growing up was extraordinary — the places I went and how we lived and what we got to experience,” Dakota said. “But we also struggled with internal family dynamics and situations and events that are so traumatic.”

Her parents separated when she was 4 years old, and divorced two years later. Then in 1996, Dakota’s family changed again when Melanie married her third husband, Antonio. At the 2019 Hollywood Film Awards, the actress praised her stepfather while presenting him with the Hollywood Actor Award.

“When I was 6 years old, my mother married a man who brought an incredibly bright light and a whole new world of creativity and culture,” said Dakota. “He loved my mother, my siblings and me so fiercely and so big and so loud that it would change all of our lives forever. Antonio taught me true passion and discipline.”

With such a famous family – Alfred Hitchcock’s muse Tippi Hedren is her maternal grandmother – it’s no surprise that Dakota followed in their footsteps. However, at first her parents dissuaded her from becoming an actress.

“They wanted me to have as much childhood as possible,” Dakota said in the 2022 interview. W Magazine. However, she always knew she wanted to act. “I couldn’t wait because I grew up on the set,” Dakota added. “My parents always worked with amazing artists and I loved it. I wanted so much to be a part of it.”

Melanie Griffith and her daughter Dakota Johnson attend the Netflix Ladies Luncheon and Screening of ‘The Lost Daughter’ on November 7, 2021 in West Hollywood, California. Vivien Killilea/Getty

She made her film debut at the age of 10 with a minor role in Crazy in Alabama next to his mother. But Dakota’s big break came in 2015 when she starred in Fifty Shades of Grey.

“I was so happy for her when she called me,” Melanie said in 2015 of her daughter’s career-making franchise — though she admitted she wouldn’t watch it. “She would be very embarrassed if I saw it, and I would be very embarrassed if I saw it.”

Dakota’s dad felt the same way. “I would never have seen that,” Don told PEOPLE in 2018. “As a father, there are certain images you don’t need in your head.”

Dakota started dating musician Chris Martin in 2017. Coldplay the singer was previously married to Gwyneth Paltrow, with whom he has two children, Apple and Moses. Dakota and Martin live together in Malibu, California, but said they often go to LA for family dinners with Paltrow.

“We’ve been together for a long time and sometimes we go out, but we both work so much that it’s nice to be at home, to be cozy and secluded,” Dakota said. Ella in 2021

For her part, Melanie couldn’t be happier for the couple. “I love my daughter’s boyfriend,” she told PEOPLE in 2019. “I think they’re a great couple.”

Stella Banderas, 27

Stella Banderas at the Christian Dior women’s fashion show fall winter 2023-2024. February 28, 2023 in Paris, France.

Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis/Getty

On September 24, 1996, Melanie welcomed her third child, Stella del Carmen Banderas, with her then-husband Antonio. Like her father, Stella was born in Spain and speaks English and Spanish. After almost 20 years of marriage, her parents announced that they were separating, and the divorce was finalized in 2015.

The former couple still maintained a close relationship. During the interview with Sup in 2019, the The Mask of Zorro the actor praised his ex-wife. “I’m not married to Melanie anymore, but she’s my family,” Antonio said. “She’s probably one of my best friends, if not the best friend I have. My family is there, Dakota, little Estella and Alexander.”

In 2021, Stella filed for a legal name change removing the surname “Griffith”. According to court documents, the decision was a practical one. “I do not normally use ‘Griffith’ when referring to myself or on documents,” she wrote in the filing. “So dropping the name would fit my regular usage.”

Stella continued her career in the family business, first joining her sister and mother in 1999. Crazy in Alabama and later, working as a model, actress and entrepreneur. In 2021, she launched Lightbound, a beauty and fragrance brand.

Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith with daughter Stella on Melanie’s Instagram.

Melanie Griffith’s Instagram

All about Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith’s daughter Stella Banderas

“I put all my love and energy into @thisislightbound and I’m so excited to share space on the site as well as the first product,” Stella posted on Instagram. “A genderless perfume oil, a handmade and sustainably packaged perfume oil reminiscent of and inspired by my intertwined upbringing between Málaga and Los Angeles.”

Melanie shared a post of support for her daughter. “Stella launched her very nice perfume oil!!” she wrote. “Look, try the smell, enjoy! She’s as beautiful as she is!”

In a joint interview with Vogue In 2021, Stella credited her mother for inspiring her perfume venture. “Seeing her relationship to smell and touch and creating a beautiful space for herself, I found love in the same self-care ritual,” she said.

Stella also called Melanie “fearless, fierce and bright” and praised her as a mum. “She was not a typical mother growing up. We had a very open relationship where no topic was off limits,” she said. “It allowed me to build a huge amount of trust with her which in turn gave me the freedom to express myself without fear of judgement.”

Melanie agreed, saying it’s important to have an open relationship with your children. “I consciously spent and still spend a lot of time with my children. I talk to them about everything – she said. “With Stella, because she’s my youngest, I think she got the best version of me as her mom.”

In August 2024, Melanie shared the news that Stella had become engaged to entrepreneur Alex Gruszynski with an Instagram post that featured black and white photos of the couple, along with a closer look at the ring.

“He asked…. On bended knee… she said yes ♥️ Stella and Alex are engaged and married ♥️,” Melanie wrote. “Their love story started in preschool! True love, deep love! Congratulations to the loved ones!!! ♥️💥♥️💫♥️.”

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Source: HIS Education