Don Johnson Married Melanie Griffith Twice but Found Happiness With Kelley Phleger, a Kindergarten Teacher
Don Johnson’s personal life is a rich one. The actor has been in relationships with many celebrities and has been married five times, twice to the same woman. But it was his latest marriage that changed his life once and for all, and the ladies’ man finally settled down. Don still marvels at how he managed to charm his wife, Kelley Phleger, and get her to marry him.
Despite all the twists and turns, Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith were able to keep their love for each other.
Johnson and Griffith were one of Hollywood’s most colorful couples. The young actors first met on the set of The Harrad Experiment and were so smitten with each other that they decided to run off to Las Vegas and get married. At the time, Don was 26 and Melanie was 18.
The first marriage didn’t last long. Both spouses were having a hard time and struggled with addiction, so after six months, they decided to separate. Johnson later said that he was unsure of the entire thing from the start as they were both so young.
Both Griffith and Johnson started dating other people but maintained their friendship. The actor had a relationship with Patti D’Arbanville, and in 1982, his first son, Jesse Johnson, was born. When Melanie had a crisis in her life, it was phone calls with Don that helped her get through the rough patch. After that, the couple decided to give their relationship another chance.
In 1989, they got married again, and soon, their daughter Dakota was born. Seven years later, they filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason. However, the actors managed to maintain a warm relationship. Johnson said that they were bound by such a strong love that it couldn’t simply disappear. It just grew into a different kind of feeling.
Johnson didn’t want to repeat his parents’ fate.
Johnson had first-hand experience of what it’s like when parents get divorced. He was only 12 when his mother and father separated, and he recalls those times with horror. The family atmosphere was so heavy and hard to handle that the young man simply ran away from home at the age of 16. But the difficult childhood taught him one valuable lesson.
No matter how complicated the relationship between the spouses, the children should not suffer for it. The actor once noted, “It’s pretty simple: when you love your children and want to share your life with them, it’s foolish to denigrate or have any animosity with their mother.”
Griffith and Johnson were raising their only daughter together, both trying to be present at all her important events. It would seem logical to assume that Dakota would follow in the footsteps of her famous parents and choose an acting career, but for Melanie and Don, their daughter’s desire to act was a complete surprise.
The girl announced her decision at the age of 18. Johnson wanted his child to get a higher education and even said that he and her mother would not support her financially if she chose otherwise. Dakota wasn’t the least bit intimidated by this and simply said to her father: “Don’t you worry about it.” She soon landed a role in The Social Network.
Johnson is very proud of his daughter’s success. He believes Dakota is much more talented than her famous parents. Don is ready to support her in any situation as long as she’s happy. The actor noted that he’s not ready to talk too much about his daughter’s personal life, but he likes her boyfriend, Chris Martin. And if the young people decide to get married, he will be genuinely happy to babysit his grandchildren.
Johnson’s eldest son, Jesse, grew up in Aspen, Colorado. His parents, Don and Patti D’Arbanville, didn’t want their son to live in Los Angeles amidst all the hype and fame that surrounded his father. At first, the boy thought of a career as a musician, but when his father offered him a small role in his project Nash Bridges, Jesse’s plans changed.
He decided to become an actor, even though Don Johnson tried to discourage him by warning him of all the difficulties and pitfalls of the profession. When the film Killing Lincoln was released, in which the young man played one of the leading roles, his father was proud of his son’s excellent work.
Neither money nor fame could bring him happiness.
Don Johnson himself almost ruined his career and life at one point. The success of Miami Vice brought him international fame and big money. The actor was constantly at loud parties, and he got a collection of luxury cars, an airplane, a yacht, and a luxurious ranch. But all this gave him little joy. Short-lived and stormy romances, as well as harmful habits, only allowed Don to forget himself for a short while. At one point, Johnson was even disgusted to look at himself in the mirror. And the offers for interesting roles started coming in less and less frequently.
Later, when recalling this period of his life, the actor preferred to talk about himself in the third person, as if he considered himself someone completely different. And that really was the case because, in one wonderful moment, everything in his life changed. At one of the parties, Johnson saw a stately brunette. The young woman seemed to him unusually noble and attractive.
This was kindergarten teacher Kelley Phleger, who sometimes attended social events. The actor was captivated. He went over to her to get acquainted and immediately admitted that he wanted to marry Kelley. She was somewhat taken aback by this approach and thought that Johnson was crazy. After that, they didn’t see each other for almost a year.
The actor believes his wife’s love was a gift of magic.
Johnson is still convinced that only a miracle made Kelley fall in love with him and agree to become his wife. He jokingly worries that Phleger will one day wake up from her spell, and all will be over.
Don and Phleger got married in 1999, and in the same year, they had a daughter, Atherton Grace, and later, sons Jasper Breckinridge and Deacon were born. For the sake of his beloved, Johnson gave up his harmful habits and quickly got himself back into shape. He once didn’t expect to live to be 30 but was able to change his fate.
Don Johnson believes that most people are ready to settle down by the age of 30, but for some individuals, himself included, it takes longer. His youth was spent in Hollywood with all sorts of entertainment at his fingertips. This didn’t lead to immediate disaster, but the problems gradually piled up and forced him to make one wrong choice after another. With Kelley and the kids, he finally felt like himself and no longer needed the thrill. Except occasionally racing his Tesla.
The large Johnson family has some wonderful traditions. At Thanksgiving, for example, they love to play pranks on each other. The children, as well as the parents, are wonderfully inventive, coming up with all kinds of jokes. Some can be quite mean but by no means malicious. And on Christmas Eve, the entire family volunteers at a shelter, preparing and serving food.
Soon after the wedding, the actor sold his car collection and ranch. He discovered that neither money, nor success, nor luxury toys could bring him happiness. Johnson became more selective of his roles, giving preference to minor, but interesting and multifaceted characters.
Having finally found happiness and serenity with Kelley and their three children, Don has managed to maintain a warm relationship with Melanie Griffith, Patti D’Arbanville, and his eldest son and daughter. The Griffith-Johnson-Banderas-Hedren-Phleger-Bauer family clan gatherings really do look impressive.
The actor now tries to spend more time with his family, often inviting his two eldest children to the house as well. Over the past 23 years, his feelings for Kelley haven’t faded one bit. Don calls her the most wonderful mother in the world and his best friend. And he has no regrets that the old Johnson, famous for his rebellious antics, is long gone.
We are truly happy for Don Johnson, whose own experience has proven that it is possible to change your life. The main thing is to find the strength to do so.