Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith Are Friendly Exes as They Leave L.A. Restaurant Arm-in-Arm

Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith were spotted arm-in-arm after dining with their children in Beverly Hills on Saturday, April 25

People Antonio Banderas and his ex-wife Melanie GriffithCredit: BACKGRID

NEED TO KNOW

  • The former couple, married for 18 years, have maintained a close friendship since their 2015 divorce

  • Banderas has called Griffith his "best friend" and praised their shared experiences, including raising their daughter Stella

Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith may have divorced in 2015, but the pair are still clearly on good terms.

On Saturday, April 25, Banderes, 65, and Griffiths, 68, were spotted leaving Beverly Hills sushi restaurant Matsushia arm-in-arm after emnjoying dinner together. They were also joined by their daughter,Stella Banderas, 29, as well as Griffith’s son, Alexander Bauer, 40, who she shares with her first ex-husband, actor Steven Bauer.

The actress’ other daughter, actress Dakota Johnson, who she shares with her second ex-husband Don Johnson, appeared to have missed the family outing.

Antonio Banderas and his ex-wife Melanie GriffithCredit: BACKGRID

The pair, who were married for 18 years before theirdivorceover a decade ago, wore complementary outfits for their dinner date, both opting for cropped jackets and jeans while theMask of Zorrostar held his baseball cap in his hands.

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Antonio Banderas and his ex-wife Melanie GriffithCredit: BACKGRID

The actors — who firstbonded while filmingtheir 1995 rom-com,Two Much— have maintained a famously close relationship despite no longer being married.

When they met, Griffith and Banderas were both still married to their former partners —Don Johnsonand Ana Leza — but by 1996, they were both divorced and they married in London that May.

In October 2019, Banderas was full of praise for his ex-wife. “Melanie is not my wife anymore, but I thinkshe is my best friend," he told PEOPLE. "I love her and will love her until the day I die. She’s my family.”

Meanwhile, in June 2020, Banderas once again reflected on their relationship toEl Break de las 7. He shared that there were “wonderful moments” in their marriage that he won’t forget, per Spanish outletHola!. The actor noted, “We had a wonderful daughter that we both love and that is the end result of our relationship, the most beautiful thing we have ever done together.”

In addition, in April 2023, Griffith reminisced about their relationship while celebrating Holy Week. Aftersharing photosof the festivities on Instagram, she looked back on attending Holy Week with her ex-husband. “During the 19 years I was married to Antonio, one of the many extraordinary experiences he gave to me and the kids was our introduction to and subsequent love for Semana Santa (Holy Week),” she wrote on social media.

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Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith Are Friendly Exes as They Leave L.A. Restaurant Arm-in-Arm

Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith were spotted arm-in-arm after dining with their children in Beverly Hills on Saturday, April 25 ...
A growing amateur choir brings joy and community to hundreds in Serbia

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — An amateur pop choir that started with a couple dozen singers in a small Serbian town has found unexpected success across the country. Its motto? Anyone can sing.

Associated Press Choir members perform a song during a practice in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) Nenad Azanjac, founder of Pop Choir, leads a song during a practice in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) Choir members perform a song during a practice in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) Choir members perform a song during a practice in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) Choir members perform a song during a practice in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Serbia Sing for Joy

While communitychoirsare common in other countries, they are relatively rare inSerbia. The no-stress and fun approach has attracted hundreds of people, mostly women of all ages.

Modeled after similar projects abroad, the choir is encouraging “everyone from 5 to 105” to join and sing for joy and stress relief.

Since starting out in a small town in central Serbia four years ago, Pop Hor has spread to 10 towns across the Balkan country with an ambition to grow further. There are no auditions or voice tests, and newcomers don’t have to know how to read music.

“People come as total amateurs, most of them say they have no clue about singing,” said Nenad Azanjac, who trained as a music teacher and who founded Pop Hor, or Pop Choir, with his wife.

Nevenka Bila, 72, said the choir has provided a much-needed positive contrast to the everyday reality of political tensions andpro-democracy protestsin thetroubled Balkan country.

“In this madness that we are living, where I spend half of my free time in the streets fighting for basic human rights, I found something that feels so good for me,” Bila said. “I discovered a new world.”

The group packs halls and venues across the country weekly to belt out popular tunes — mostly in Serbian, though sometimes they also sing songs by Croatian and Bosnian bands and singers. Though amateur, the choir often performs at festivals and events in Serbia and abroad.

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“I never miss a class,” said Radmila Kozarac, a 62-year-old economist. The choir has changed her life for the better, she said, adding that she has made wonderful new friends and can’t wait for their after-class chat and coffee together.

The choir has had “a very positive effect on me, psychologically,” she said. "It is joyful, it reduces stress.”

Music is known for positive neurobiological and psychological effects, psychologist and Singidunum University professor Aleksandra Djuric said. In a group, she added, “we release the energy together, cortisol (levels) come down and positive hormones rise out of union and happiness.”

“I keep telling my students that we can’t be exposed on a daily basis to information, to be bombarded by information and follow everything all the time,” Djuric said. “We need to find a space to calm down, relax and connect.”

Serbia endured years of wars, international sanctions and economic crisis in the 1990s. The country remains politically divided and struggles economically. Youth-led protests against populistPresident Aleksandar Vucicerupted in 2024 over a train station tragedy blamed on widespread negligence and corruption in big state-run infrastructure projects.

Azanjac said many people have joined his choir after their therapists recommended singing as an anti-stress activity. They “find a sense of belonging here, they enjoy it,” he added, describing a ”feeling of togetherness."

“Singing comes second, socializing comes first," Azanjac said.

In total, some 2,000 people have sung with Pop Hor since it started in the town of Gornji Milanovac in 2022. Azanjac said he's not stopping there.

The plan is “to have the whole region sing," he said.

A growing amateur choir brings joy and community to hundreds in Serbia

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — An amateur pop choir that started with a couple dozen singers in a small Serbian town has found unexpected succ...
‘Chicago Fire’ Loses Showrunner Andrea Newman in Surprise Exit Following Multiple Cast Shakeups

Chicago Fireis going through another change with showrunnerAndrea Newmanexiting after more than a decade.

Us magazine Chicago Fire's Dermot Mulroney Is Going on Hiatus After Multiple Cast Exits

Newman, who has worked on the NBC seriesfor its entire 14-season run, is leaving and co-executive producerVictor Teranis taking over the role. Newman joinedChicago Fireafter the pilot as co-executive producer before being promoted to executive producer then co-showrunnerbefore becoming sole showrunner in 2023.

“Working at Chicago Fire, with the absolute best cast and crew in the business, has been the highlight of my career,” Newman said in a statement. “Like so many others, I was inspired to get into TV writing because of Dick, so what a thrill it’s been to work with him and the amazing Wolf team of Peter Jankowski, Rebecca McGill and Anastasia Puglisi. I’m so grateful to them, Derek Haas and the NBC and Universal execs who have been so supportive of the show all along the way. After 14 years, you really do become a family and working with this group will always feel like home.”

Jankowski, meanwhile, released a separate statement, which read, “We’re sad to say goodbye to Andrea. She’s been at the center of the heart and soul of Chicago Fire since the beginning and the show thrived under her watch. We’re grateful for her commitment to the development of the next generation and know the show will be in great hands with Victor taking the reins.”

TV Shows That Went Through Several Showrunner Changes: From ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ to ‘Gilmore Girls’

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One Chicagofansare no strangers to seeingshakeups withinChicago Fire, Chicago MedandChicago P.D.over the years. After there were some questions about the franchise’s revolving door of cast members, NBC's president of program planningJeff Baderexplained why he wasn't concerned.

“Cast comes in, cast goes out,” Bader told TVLine in an interview published in July 2024. “It’s interesting. Because every year there are cast changes, and every year someone asks the same question about what’s going on within the One Chicago universe. But [those shows] just keep going on.”

Bader pointed out that each of the Chicago shows have continued to find success, adding, “We’re thrilled with how the Chicagos do on Wednesday. We have no plans on changing anything on that night.”

Most Shocking TV Exits of 2026 So Far: From ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ to ‘Virgin River’

Newman, meanwhile, teasedonscreen shifts aheadof the next season.

“We’re going to have a lot of turnover,” Newman told TVLine in May 2025. “And a lot craziness going on in the CFD from the top, where people are being cut and moved, and everything’s going to get shaken up next season. There will be hellos, and there will be goodbyes. I’ll say that. That’s for sure.”

Newman also made it clear that nothing is guaranteed.

“There’s nobody safe in this shakeup,” Newman explained to TV Insider that same month. “So next season is going to be about how the s*** really hits the fan once that mandate comes down and how things get shaken up and how our team can hold together as a family while all this craziness is happening around them.”

‘Chicago Fire’ Loses Showrunner Andrea Newman in Surprise Exit Following Multiple Cast Shakeups

Chicago Fireis going through another change with showrunnerAndrea Newmanexiting after more than a decade. Newman, who has worked ...

 

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