Antonio Banderas says his relationship with ex-wife Melanie Griffith remains one of the closest in his life, more than a decade after their divorce.
In an interview with PEOPLE published August 6, Banderas, 65, called Griffith, 68, “if not my best friend, one of my best friends,” describing their continued closeness as something that’s benefited their family.
“When I go to Los Angeles, we get together anyway, we got a lot of fun. We laugh and we just… It’s a very healthy thing, and it was very healthy for our kids,” he said.
Banderas and Griffith first met at the 1989 Oscars, married in 1996, and separated in 2014 before their divorce was finalized in 2015.
They share daughter Stella Banderas, now 29.
Banderas credited their post-split honesty with keeping the relationship intact over the years: “When we were a couple, when we separated, we were always very sincere. We came out of our relationship in a nice way that was very important for [the kids] and for us.”
He also spoke warmly about Griffith’s other children, Alexander Bauer, Dakota Johnson and stepson Jesse Johnson, praising her as “an unbelievable mother” and saying he’s proud to see them “blossoming and becoming good people.”
Banderas has since found love again with investment banker Nicole Kimpel.
