Celebrity couple Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith, are seeking a divorce after 18 years of marriage. In a joint statement issued by their representative in early June, the couple addressed their impending divorce:
"We have thoughtfully and consensually decided to finalize our almost twenty year marriage in a loving and friendly manner, honoring and respecting each other, our family and friends and the beautiful time we have spent together."
Although the couple has stated their intention to end their marriage in a "loving and friendly" manner, Griffith's recent decision to remove the tattoo bearing her soon to be ex-husband's name, along with the requests made in her divorce filings, could reveal that the couple's split may not be as amicable as their joint statement indicates.
Celebrity Family Law - Scarface
In her divorce complaint filed June 6, Melanie Griffith requested that the court grant a divorce due to the couple's irreconcilable differences. Additionally, Griffith petitioned the court to award her child support and sole physical and joint legal custody of the couple's daughter. Griffith's requests regarding child custody are notable because the couple's daughter turns 18 in September. Thus, a request for sole physical custody of a minor who will likely not be a minor once the divorce is eventually finalized could be viewed as an unnecessarily aggressive request on Griffith's part. Griffith's aggressive posture regarding physical custody, coupled with the recent sightings of the star with makeup covering her forearm tattoo featuring her husband's name, suggests that this celebrity divorce, like many others before it, has the potential to become hotly contested.