Antonio Banderas is happy about his daughter’s major life milestone! Stella Banderas got engaged to Alex Gruszynski, and her father couldn’t be happier. The actor appeared at the amfAR Gala in Venice held as part of the Venice Film Festival on Sunday, September 1. When PEOPLE asked about Stella’s engagement, Antonio replied, “I feel great! She’s happy, I’m happy.”
He also spoke about his future son-in-law, an entrepreneur, and described him as awesome. “I’ve known him since he was a little kid,” the Babygirl actor told the outlet. Antonio was among the amfAR Gala honoraries which also included Richard Gere and film producer Mohammed Al Turki.
The annual gala raises money for HIV/AIDS research and spreads awareness through ticket sales and auctions. At the gala, the Desperado actor was honored with the Global Impact Award. In a statement released by the organization, the actor was praised for his “dedication to philanthropy and commitment to making a difference in the fight against HIV inspires us all.”
Stella, 20, announced her engagement on Instagram with a series of pictures including a few pictures of them as kids. “I get to hang out with my favorite person on earth forever!!!!!!!!” she captioned the post. Her mother Melanie Griffith commented on her post and wrote, “I love you both sooooo much!! Congratulations again!!!”
She also posted unseen snaps of the couple on her Instagram, sharing the happy news. “He asked…. On bended knee… she said yes,” Melanie wrote in the caption. She also teased their love story, which began in pre-school. “True love, deep love! Congratulations to the beloveds!!!” she added.
Stella initially followed in her father and mother’s footsteps and pursued acting. She starred in 1999’s Crazy in Alabama (directed by Antonio) alongside her mother and half-sister Dakota Johnson. She continued acting but shifted her focus to modeling and launched her beauty and fragrance brand, Lightbound, in 2021.
Speaking to PEOPLE in 2010, Antonio spoke about the quality time he spends with his daughter by going on a “date night” every week. “I take her for dinner by herself and we can talk, spend some time together,” he added.
