Ana Leza: Facts about Antonio Banderas’ ex-wife

Ana Leza is the ex-wife of Antonio Banderas. Ana Leza’s ex-husband Banderas is a Spanish actor. Known for his work in films of several genres, he has received various accolades, including a Cannes Film Festival Award and a European Film Award, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award, a Tony Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and five Golden Globe Awards.

Ana Leza: Bio Summary

Who was Antonio Banderas his first wife?

Ana Leza was born in Madrid, Madrid, Spain to her Maria de la Concepcion Leza Nunez AKA Concha Leza. As of 2022, she is 60 years old. Apart from being famous as the ex-wife of Antonio Banderas, Ana is an actress, she is known for Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), Of Love and Shadows (1994), and El placer de matar (1988).

Ana Leza’s mother is also an actor with over 89 acting credits under her name. She’s famous for Foul Play, Outrage, and Hospital Central.

How did Antonio Banderas and Ana Leza Meet?

Despite a stellar on-screen career, Banderas has had a turbulent off-screen life. The twice-divorced Spanish actor has been plagued by tumultuous relationships, leaving him financially depleted in one case. While Banderas is best known for his marriage to Melanie Griffith, it was his first marriage to actress Ana Leza that really put a dent in his wallet.

How did the two love birds meet Antonio Banderas and Ana Leza and started their relationship? Well, the couple never made any public utterance regarding the circumstances that lead to their paths crossing and hence their marriage. However, it is known that, after just six months of dating, Antonio Banderas and Ana Leza tied the knot in a shocking marriage. They got married in a beautiful ceremony in the presence of their friends, family, and, loved ones in 1987.

Its also known that their relationship first started as a professional one — Leza being Banderas’ private English tutor and translator — quickly bloomed into a romance.

“She helped me translate the script for ‘Los Reyes del Mambo,’ … it gave me a lot of confidence,” Banderas said, per Vanity Fair portal. “Without her, I would not have gotten the role,” Banderas continued, expressing his gratitude. Furthermore, Leza noted “​​It was essential that I accompany him to the United States because he did not speak a word of English and I speak it fluently.”

The beautiful turn sour very quick as the actor and actress who once shared a screen have not decided to call their marriage a quit. They divorced in 1995. The couple were married for 8 years before calling it a quit.

How did their divorce cause a dent in Antonio’s pocket? Following the divorce, Leza kept their home worth 3.4 million euros (nearly $4 million USD) and was entitled to 12,000 euros ($14,100.60 USD) in monthly alimony payments, as well as 50 percent of Banderas’ movie earnings during their marriage (including earnings from the iconic 1994 film “Interview with the Vampire!”).

Ana Leza’s ex-husband, Banderas lamented the “eight days of trial,” as he described it in 2004 (via VF) noting that “it is a business.” The actor then revealed, “What the judge wants to know is how much you are going to pay your partner.” Recalling the tactics used, the actor stated, “They grab you by the foot, they shake you and, when [they bleed you dry] they leave you. That’s what they did to me.”

Where is Antonio Banderas’s ex-wife now?

Following the divorce, it was revealed that Ana Leza left the acting business and married Dharma Villareal, a Xerox documentarian, in 2000. The couple, who are nomads by nature, moved from Madrid to Los Angeles, California, to Abu Dhabi before settling in South Fallsburg, New York. According to Vanity Fair.

Antonio Banderas’ ex-wife Ana Lezo and her new husband were drawn to the meditation world and later became involved with the “mystical organization of Hindu origin[,] Siddha Yoga Meditation,” as Vanity Fair put it. The couple quickly enlisted the help of their children.

The couple’s daughters, Clara María and Sofia Macarena became rechristened with Hindi names Clara Priya and Sophia Sindhu, respectively.

Ana Leza’s ex-husband Banderas

The same year he divorced Leza, Antonio Banderas married fellow actress Melanie Griffith. Stella del Carmen Banderas is the couple’s only child. Banderas and Griffith were happily married until 2015 when released a statement announcing their intention to divorce in a “loving and friendly divorce,” according to ABC.

According to the petition filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court, the couple had “irreconcilable differences” that led to their separation. The divorce became official in December 2015. Regarding the divorce, Griffith stated that she “did not [put any] blame on Antonio and my marriage” and that “I love him and always will.” His former stepdaughter Dakota Johnson has stated she considers Banderas part of the family and called him a “bonus dad”.

In 2009, Ana Leza’s ex-husband, Banderas underwent surgery for a benign tumor in his back. Banderas revealed in March 2017 at the Málaga Film Festival that he had a heart attack on January 26, 2017, but that it “wasn’t serious and hasn’t caused any damages.” Following that incident, he underwent heart surgery to have three stents placed in his arteries. In a September 2019 interview with Fresh Air, he described it as “life-changing.”

He said, “It just gave me a perspective of who I was, and it just made the important things [go to] the surface. When I say this, people may just think that I’m crazy, but it’s one of the best things that ever happened in my life.”

On 10 August 2020, his 60th birthday, Banderas revealed he had tested positive for COVID-19 amidst its pandemic in Spain.