Melanie Griffith & Don Johnson’s Baby Was ‘God’s Plan’ — Now They’re Proud Parents of an ‘Extraordinary’ Daughter

• Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith had a turbulent relationship, tying the knot and parting ways on two occasions.
• Their prominent love story, marked by the good and the bad, attracted media focus.
• Despite obstacles, they have a daughter, Dakota Johnson, a successful actress. The two take pride in being her parents.

Born Donnie Wayne Johnson, Don Johnson became famous in 1984 when he landed a role as undercover police detective James "Sonny" Crockett in "Miami Vice."

22-year-old Johnson was working on a movie set, "Harrad Experiment," when he first met Melanie Griffith, the 14-year-old daughter of his co-star Tippi Hendren.

Griffith, who would later become an actress and producer, was taken aback when she first sighted young Johnson on set and fell head over heels in love with him. Years later, she would call it an adolescent crush.

Young and good-looking, Johnson had an effect on and a reputation with women. He recalled that Griffith was womanly and appealed to him, but he was bothered about her age because she was very young.

Things took a different turn the following year when young Griffith was kicked out of her Catholic school for questioning religion, and she moved in with Johnson in his rented Laurel Canyon home.

Dakota hilariously asked her parents if they were embarrassed that she had told the story.

Three years after Griffith moved in with Johnson, on her 18th year birthday, the couple tied the knot in a small chapel in Las Vegas. It was believed that Johnson made a spontaneous move by marrying Griffith in 1976.

Half a year after the wedding, the couple split up, and Griffith left the relationship with nothing more than a tattooed pear, purportedly a pet name for her lover, on her behind.

Falling In and Out of Love

After the split, the duo reportedly bounced back like nothing ever happened. They were known in Hollywood to be great socialites and partygoers. Griffith featured in more sensuous roles, no less arousing than her romances.

In 1983, Griffith tried the marriage institution again, this time with actor Steven (Scarface) Bauer, and it lasted for a short two years. They had a son together. On his part, Johnson was very audacious with his love quests.

He got married twice while young and had actress Patti D'Arbanville move in with him for four years after abruptly ending his relationship with then-girlfriend Tanya Tucker at a sophisticated Los Angeles restaurant.

He got tired of his live-in situation with D'Arbanville because he soon got involved with singer and actress Barbra Streisand. They were smitten with one another. A friend of the singer said Streisand was crazy about the actor and in love. However, their love turned sour when Johnson and Griffith reunited.

Johnson and Griffith Get Back Together

Despite being in different relationships and thriving, Johnson and Griffith still kept in touch and checked on one another. Not only did they do regular check-ups, but they also supported each other's careers. In 1987, Johnson called up Griffith to offer her a role he described as perfect for her—a high-class madam in a movie.

Griffith recalled that there was always a connection between them. In the spring of 1987, while Johnson was still in a relationship with Streisand, he and Griffith crossed paths. The duo met up and rekindled their relationship.

In 1988, after wrapping up filming for "Working Girl," Griffith made the decision to end her dependence on alcohol and cocaine. While on a plane to the Halzadec Clinic in Minnesota, the actress had a feeling that she had to change everything.

She was so scared about her decision that she called Johnson for moral support. The actor told Griffith that she could do it and that he would support her all the way. She spoke a lot with Johnson while she was in rehab and recalled that she "fell in love again on the phone."

Johnson reunited with Griffith in August 1988 in New York City. This time, their connection was immediate and apparent. However, the actor was still shuffling between Streisand and Griffith until he finally ended things with Streisand.

The couple continued their love story, and soon, they were expecting a baby together. Griffith was excited and over the moon when she found out about the baby. As per Griffith's mother, Hendren, the actress had wanted a baby for a long time since she met Johnson. "He's the love of her life," she added.

When Johnson heard about the news from Griffith while on the "Miami Vice" set, he was surprised but happy. Throughout the film shoot, he was mush-faced and as thrilled as Griffith. Everything looked well arranged and in sync, and Hendren said Johnson told her, "This is God's plan."

With a baby on the way, the couple thought it best to make plans to go back to the altar and remarry. Johnson solidified the plans with a beautiful four-karat rock he gave Griffith.

Griffith, who was once married to the actor in a small ceremony in LA, decided she wanted to have a big wedding this time around. Concerning the marriage, she said:

"It will be till death do us part."

With their reunion and wedding in view, the "Working Girl" actress believed that their love was written in the stars and was fated. "I'll always love him. He was my first love," she admitted, Both settled into family life and upheld good lifestyles.

Their routine morning work, with Griffith quitting nude and sexual roles and settling into the housewife mode, made her happy. The couple believed that their reunion and baby were a reward for good living, cleaning out their closet, and fighting their personal demons.

On June 26, 1989, the couple got married for the second time at their ranch in a non-denominational ceremony with 30 close friends. Months after their wedding, they gave birth to a daughter, Dakota.

The family stayed on their ranch outside Aspen together with their children from previous marriages, enjoying their second chance at love and reveling in parenthood. Griffith felt she had it all when she said:

"I'm a princess in a fairy tale."

Regrettably, their second attempt at a marriage didn't last. They separated once more in 1994, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for their divorce, thus, concluding their five-year union.

Griffith, who still maintains a cordial relationship with her ex-husband, is happily single and comfortable with her status. The two have opened up about their daughter Dakota, who has grown into a gorgeous and successful woman.

Johnson and Griffith's Daughter Dakota

Griffith and Johnson are close friends and co-parents to their daughter. The actress who starred in "Fifty Shades of Grey" appeared on Saturday Night Live in 2015 and said she understood why her parents would not be seeing the movie.

The film is a sensual drama portraying the intense relationship between its main characters and delving into themes of desire, control, and romance. Dakota added that in December of 1988, Griffith hosted Saturday Night Live, and after she stepped off the stage, Johnson proposed to her.

Nine months later, Dakota was born, and she playfully suggested that her mother might have conceived her that night. The audience busted out laughing, including Griffith and Johnson, who were in attendance.

Dakota hilariously asked her parents if they were embarrassed that she had told the story, but Johnson only said they were afraid she was going to undress, alluding to her role in "Fifty Shades of Grey."

When "Fifty Shades of Grey" became a box office hit, Johnson was asked by People Magazine whether he would be seeing it. He answered that the movie wasn't his kind of film, but his decision not to watch it was reinforced by the fact that his daughter was on it, and he didn't want certain images of her stuck in his head.

Johnson also revealed that he was shocked when his daughter told him she wanted to pursue acting and not go to college. The actor didn't know Dakota had an interest in the field as she had never taken an acting class or been in a play.

What Johnson didn't know was that Dakota had been watching in the background as her mom and dad aced acting. All that time, she was learning the craft and perfecting it. Johnson admitted that she learned acting "maybe even better than mom and dad. She's extraordinary."

Johnson and Griffith have supported their daughter's career. The actor confessed that he would love to play a scene in a movie with Dakota.

He showed his support when he attended the "How to be Single" premiere with his daughter and her mother. Griffith shared their picture online. The actress was so excited that she captioned the post:

"She's amazing! The movie is so funny, you laugh, you cry! Don is a #veryprouddaddy, and I am a very #proudmama 😎😪😎😪😎."

Griffith, who revealed that Johnson was her first celebrity crush, has maintained a cordial relationship with the father of her daughter. The three are a close, supportive, and loving family, even though Griffith and Johnson divorced.