Melanie Griffith's Four Children: Meet Jesse, Alexander, Dakota, and Stella
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- UPDATED DECEMBER 18, 2024
by Tasha Mayberry
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For Melanie Griffith, being a mom is her most cherished role.
The actress has four children: son Alexander Bauer with ex-husband Steven Bauer, daughter Dakota Johnson and stepson Jesse Johnson with ex Don Johnson, and daughter Stella Banderas with former husband Antonio Banderas.
Despite past relationships, Melanie has maintained close bonds with her children’s fathers. In a 2020 interview with PEOPLE, she shared, “All three of them are my friends. I love them with all my heart.”
Now that her kids are grown, Melanie sees “endless possibilities” ahead. “I’ve been taking this time to figure out my future,” she revealed, mentioning that she’s working on a memoir while organizing family photos and heirlooms collected throughout her life.
In July 2023, Melanie Griffith celebrated her love for her children with a meaningful new tattoo. The ink, replacing her ’90s-era tribute to then-husband Antonio Banderas, features the first names of her four children arranged in a crossword-style design.
Here’s everything to know about Melanie Griffith’s four children: Jesse, Alexander, Dakota, and Stella.
Jesse Johnson, 42
Don Johnson and his then-partner Patti D’Arbanville welcomed their son Jesse on Dec. 7, 1982. When Don remarried Melanie Griffith in 1989 (after a brief six-month marriage in 1976), she became Jesse’s stepmom.
Jesse grew up in Aspen, Colorado, where he developed a deep 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 shared in a 2009 interview with Top Cat Films.
Throughout his childhood and teenage years, Jesse often attended public events with Melanie and Don, including the 1991 premiere of Hook and a 1997 charity event.
Following in his father’s acting footsteps, Jesse made his on-screen debut as a teenager on Don’s hit TV series Nash Bridges. He later studied theater at Occidental College in Los Angeles, graduating in 2004. His acting credits include roles in popular shows such as Hawaii Five-0, Twin Peaks, Grey’s Anatomy, and NCIS. In addition to acting, Jesse is also a musician.
Melanie and Jesse have maintained a close bond over the years. In 2016, they were spotted spending Christmas together in Aspen. More recently, in 2022, Melanie shared Instagram photos from a large family Thanksgiving celebration that included Jesse.
Alexander Bauer, 39
Alexander Griffith Bauer was born on Aug. 22, 1985, to Melanie Griffith and her second husband, Steven Bauer. The couple met on set and married in 1981 before finalizing their divorce in 1989.
Alexander grew up in Los Angeles with his mom and siblings. After his parents split, Steven welcomed another son, Dylan Bauer, in 1990. Meanwhile, Melanie remarried twice and had Alexander’s two younger sisters, Dakota Johnson and Stella Banderas.
Despite coming from a family of actors, Alexander has largely avoided the spotlight. His brief industry work includes acting, writing, and camera work on two projects between 2013 and 2015.
Melanie frequently shares her love for Alexander on social media. In 2019, she posted a heartfelt tribute to her sons on Instagram. “Happy National Sons Day ♥️ These extraordinary guys,” she wrote alongside photos of Jesse and Alexander. “I love you both so much.”
In another nostalgic post, she shared a throwback from 1998 featuring her and Alexander rollerblading together, captioning it, “Roller blading with my Dude Alexander 😘 1998.”
Dakota Johnson, 35
After her split from Steven Bauer, Melanie Griffith reunited with her first husband, Don Johnson, and the couple welcomed their daughter Dakota on Oct. 4, 1989.
Dakota was born in Austin, Texas, while her father was filming there. She grew up in Colorado and California, often moving from place to place due to her parents’ busy acting careers.
Reflecting on her childhood in a 2022 interview with Vanity Fair, Dakota said, “My life is incredibly lucky and privileged, and the life I led growing up was remarkable — the places I went and how we lived and what we were able to experience. But we also struggled with internal family dynamics and situations and events that are so traumatic.”
Her parents separated when Dakota was 4 years old, and they divorced two years later. In 1996, her family dynamic shifted once again when Melanie married her third husband, Antonio Banderas. At the 2019 Hollywood Film Awards, Dakota praised Antonio in a heartfelt tribute while presenting him with the Hollywood Actor Award.
“When I was 6 years old, my mother married a man who brought an unbelievably bright light and a whole new world of creativity and culture,” Dakota shared. “He loved my mother and my siblings and I so fiercely, and so big and so loud that it would change all of our lives forever. Antonio taught me about true passion and discipline.”
With her famous lineage — including her maternal grandmother, Alfred Hitchcock’s muse Tippi Hedren — it’s no surprise that Dakota chose a career in acting. However, her parents initially discouraged her from pursuing it.
“They wanted me to have as much of a childhood as I could,” Dakota explained in a 2022 interview with W Magazine. Despite this, she always knew she wanted to act. “I couldn’t wait because I grew up on set. My parents were always working with amazing artists, and I just loved it. I wanted to be a part of it so badly.”
Dakota made her film debut at the age of 10 with a minor role in Crazy in Alabama, where she appeared alongside her mother. However, her big break came in 2015 when she starred as Anastasia Steele in Fifty Shades of Grey.
“I was so happy for her when she called me,” Melanie shared in 2015 about her daughter’s career-making role, though she admitted she wouldn’t be watching the film. “She would be very uncomfortable if I saw it, and I would be very uncomfortable if I saw it.”
Dakota’s dad, Don, had a similar reaction. “I would never see that,” he told PEOPLE in 2018. “As a father, there are certain images that you don’t need in your head.”
In 2017, Dakota began dating musician Chris Martin, the Coldplay frontman who was previously married to Gwyneth Paltrow. The couple shares two children, Apple and Moses. Dakota and Chris live together in Malibu, California, but they often travel to Los Angeles for family dinners with Paltrow.
“We’ve been together for quite a while, and we go out sometimes, but we both work so much that it’s nice to be at home and be cozy and private,” Dakota told Elle in 2021.
Melanie, for her part, couldn’t be happier for the couple. “I love my daughter’s boyfriend,” she shared with PEOPLE in 2019. “I think that they’re an awesome couple.”
Stella Banderas, 28
On Sept. 24, 1996, Melanie Griffith welcomed her third child, Stella del Carmen Banderas, with her then-husband, Antonio Banderas. Like her father, Stella was born in Spain and speaks both English and Spanish. After nearly 20 years of marriage, Melanie and Antonio announced their separation, and their divorce was finalized in 2015.
Despite their split, the former couple has maintained a close relationship. In a 2019 interview with Vulture, Antonio praised his ex-wife, saying, “I am not married with Melanie anymore, but she is my family. She is probably one of my best friends, if not the best friend that I have. My family is there, Dakota, little Estella and Alexander.”
In 2021, Stella filed to legally change her name by removing the surname “Griffith.” According to court documents, the decision was made for practical reasons. “I typically do not use ‘Griffith’ when referring to myself or on documents,” she explained in the filing. “So, dropping the name would match my regular use.”
Stella has pursued a career in the family business, making her acting debut in Crazy in Alabama alongside her mother and sister in 1999. Since then, she has worked as a model, actress, and entrepreneur. In 2021, she launched Lightbound, a beauty and fragrance brand.
“I’ve put all my love and energy into @thisislightbound and am so excited to share the space on the site as well as the first product,” Stella Banderas announced on Instagram. “A genderless, handcrafted, and sustainably packaged perfume oil reminiscent of and inspired by my intertwined upbringing between Málaga and Los Angeles.”
Melanie showed her support for her daughter’s venture, sharing a post on Instagram: “Stella has launched her very beautiful perfume oil!! Take a look, try the scent, enjoy! It’s as beautiful as she is!”
In a joint interview with Vogue in 2021, Stella credited her mother with inspiring her perfume business. “Seeing her relationship to scent and touch and making a beautiful space for herself, I found love in the same ritual of self-care,” she explained.
Stella also described Melanie as “fearless, fierce and radiant,” and praised her parenting. “She wasn’t the typical mother growing up. We had a very open relationship where no topic was really off limits,” Stella shared. “This allowed me to build immense trust with her, which in turn gave me the freedom to express myself without fear of judgment.”
Melanie agreed, emphasizing the importance of an open relationship with her children. “I consciously spent and still spend a lot of time with my kids. I talk about everything with them,” she said. “With Stella, because she is my youngest, I think she has gotten the best version of me as her mama.”
In August 2024, Melanie shared the exciting news that Stella is engaged to entrepreneur Alex Gruszynski, posting black-and-white photos of the couple and a closer look at the ring.
“He asked…. On bended knee… she said yes ♥️ Stella and Alex are engaged to be married ♥️,” Melanie wrote. “Their love story began in pre-school! True love, deep love! Congratulations to the beloveds!!! ♥️💥♥️💫♥️.”