Antonio Banderas had a special companion at his latest movie premiere, and their carefully coordinated red carpet looks made the family outing stand out.
The 66-year-old actor attended the Toronto International Film Festival on September 17, 2026, for the premiere of “Up Against It.” But it was the woman posing beside him who added a personal touch to the evening.
The pair smiled for photographers at Roy Thomson Hall before heading into the screening. Their matching dark outfits offered the first clue to the identity of Banderas’ red carpet date.
The appearance soon prompted comments online, where social media users focused heavily on Stella and the father-daughter pairing. | Source: Instagram/justjared
Banderas Brings His Daughter to TIFF
Standing beside Banderas was Stella Banderas, his 29-year-old daughter with ex-wife Melanie Griffith. The father-daughter duo coordinated their outfits for their Toronto appearance.
Banderas wore a black suit over a black button-down shirt decorated with a contrasting white star pattern. He completed the ensemble with sleek sunglasses.
Banderas arrived at the “Up Against It” premiere in a black suit, keeping the overall look dark from head to toe. | Source: Getty Instagram
Stella also went all black, choosing a ruched, long-sleeve dress with a thigh-high slit. Like her father, she finished her look with sunglasses. The pair smiled as they posed together before going inside for the “Up Against It” screening.
Their September 17 appearance comes less than a year after another major father-daughter occasion. In October 2025, Banderas watched Stella marry her longtime partner, filmmaker Alex Gruszynski, in Spain.
The father and daughter smiled while posing together for photographs ahead of the screening. Stella’s appearance also continued the all-black theme of her father’s outfit. | Source: Getty Instagram
Stella’s Life Changed Less Than a Year Earlier
Stella and Gruszynski married on October 18, 2025, at the historic Abadía Retuerta estate in Valladolid, Spain. The ceremony brought together several generations of Stella’s family. Her parents, Banderas and Griffith, attended alongside her half-sister, Dakota Johnson, and her grandmother, Tippi Hedren.
Tippi Hedren and Dakota Johnson arrive at the Premiere Of Amazon Studios’ “Suspiria” at ArcLight Cinerama Dome in Hollywood, California on October 24, 2018 | Source: Getty Images
The bride wore an off-the-shoulder lace gown, while Gruszynski chose a black tuxedo. Ahead of the wedding, Banderas spoke about what it meant to see his only daughter with Griffith get married.
“Seeing my daughter dressed as a bride will be one of the most beautiful moments of my life. I get to be the father of the bride, and it’s a role I take on with all the emotion in the world,” he told ¡HOLA!.
Spain also carried a personal connection for the bride and her father. Stella was born there, while Banderas is from Málaga. Banderas told the publication that having his daughter marry in Spain filled him with pride, describing her connection to his Málaga and Andalusian roots.
Stella similarly said before the ceremony, “I feel so lucky to be getting married in the country where I was born.” The celebration began with a pre-wedding dinner hosted by Gruszynski’s mother, Ellen Gruszynski.
The evening included a traditional Spanish menu and live music. It also brought Stella’s divorced parents together for another important moment in their daughter’s life.
Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas pose for a portrait before the 2002 American Latino Media Arts Awards in Los Angeles, California on May 18 | Source: Getty Images
Her Parents Have Continued to Come Together for Stella
Banderas and Griffith were married for 19 years before divorcing in 2015. Years later, they have continued to appear together for milestones involving their daughter.
One such moment came in March 2023, when Griffith posted photos with her former husband and Stella. “Surrounding our Stella with love ♥️,” she captioned the family pictures.
The images showed Stella between her mother and father. Social media users took notice, with one calling the former spouses “a real class act.”
Another described Stella as a “Spanish-American beauty.” That family support was visible again when Stella announced another major change in her life the following year.
Antonio Banderas, his daughter Stella and Melanie Griffith attend the 3rd annual Starlite Charity Gala in Marbella, Spain on August 4, 2012 | Source: Getty Images
A Childhood Friendship Led to Marriage
Before the 2025 wedding, Stella and Gruszynski announced their engagement in August 2024. Their history went much further back. The two first met as children at Wagon Wheel School in Los Angeles and later became a couple.
They began dating in 2015 and remained together until 2019, when they separated. During their time apart, Stella briefly dated Eli Meyer, the son of entertainment executive Ronald Meyer. Stella and Gruszynski later rekindled their relationship, publicly marking their reunion with a Valentine’s Day kiss in 2023.
When Stella announced their engagement the following year, she shared photographs documenting different stages of their lives together. They included childhood and teenage pictures as well as more recent images of the couple.
“I get to hang out with my favorite person on earth forever!!!!!!!! 🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼🤍🤍🤍🤍,” Stella wrote in her announcement. Griffith celebrated the news as well. She revealed that Gruszynski had proposed on one knee and pointed to just how far back the couple’s story went.
“He asked…. On bended knee… she said yes ♥️ Stella and Alex are engaged to be married ♥️ Their love story began in pre-school! True love, deep love! Congratulations to the beloveds,” Griffith wrote.
Banderas also marked the engagement publicly, writing, “My daughter Stella del Carmen is getting married. We cannot be happier and excited.”
Her Engagement Ring Had a Family Connection
Stella, who has been described as a designer, model, and businesswoman, has also spoken about her appreciation for antique jewelry. That interest carries a connection to her parents because Stella has jewelry that once belonged to Griffith and was given to her by Banderas.
“I have many of my mother’s jewelry that my father gave her, which is very special, like her wedding rings and such. All of her jewels are beautiful and have great meaning behind them. That’s what makes jewels special,” Stella told ¡HOLA!.
Stella Banderas attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on February 09, 2020, in Hollywood, California. | Source: Getty Images
Gruszynski, meanwhile, studied business administration and management at Wake Forest University and the USC Marshall School of Business. He went on to work as a motion picture literary agent at WME and as a production intern at Anonymous Content.
He later became co-founder and CEO of Nova, an organization focused on creatives. By December 2024, Griffith was publicly celebrating her future son-in-law’s career as well. She congratulated Gruszynski and his business partner, Aidan Cullen, after they were named to a Forbes Under 30 list.
Banderas Celebrated the Wedding as a Family Reunion
The couple’s October 2025 wedding eventually brought their long history full circle. Two days after the ceremony, Banderas shared a video montage from the celebrations and described what the gathering had meant for the wider family.
“The wedding of my daughter Stella has turned into a heartfelt family reunion, emotional, joyful, and full of laughter. Thank you to everyone who made this possible,” he wrote on Instagram.
Nearly 11 months later, Stella was back beside her father — this time not for her own milestone but for his latest movie premiere.
Their TIFF Photos Spark Reactions
The coordinated father-daughter appearance soon drew attention online, with commenters focusing on Stella as photographs circulated.
Under one Instagram post, a user wrote, “Antonio has a beautiful daughter,” while another commented, “Very pretty, not like Dakota.”
Like her father, Stella also wore sleek sunglasses on the red carpet. The matching accessories and dark clothing gave the pair a coordinated appearance without identical outfits. | Source: Getty Images
Other supporters on Instagram focused on their shared features and glamorous aesthetic. One user requested, “Let s [sic] see the face,” while others cheered, “Oh wow 🙌😍😍😍how wonderful.you [sic] both look gorgeous ❤️❤️❤️.”
The enthusiastic response continued as fans celebrated the family bond. Commenters called them “My God, what a beautiful father and daughter that we love 😍 😍 😍 😍” and praised the “Perfection between you and Melonie [sic].”
The outing put Stella alongside Banderas at one of the major events surrounding his latest movie. Banderas shares his daughter with Griffith. | Source: Getty Images
The comments followed a red carpet appearance that connected two sides of Stella’s public life: less than a year after Banderas took on the role of father of the bride in Spain, his daughter stepped out beside him for his own big night in Toronto.
