The autumn wedding season of 2025 seemed to have already chosen its favorites, but one event reignited public attention even after the wedding bells had faded. This was the marriage of Stella del Carmen, daughter of the legendary Antonio Banderas, and her partner Alex Gruszynski. The ceremony, held in utmost secrecy, for several days turned the tiny village of Sardón de Duero in the province of Castilla y León into the center of high society life. The arrival of Hollywood stars on Spanish soil and a veil of mystery made this event the main media topic of October, but the real ‘bombshell’ came a little later.
After the guests had left and the press began wrapping up, Antonio Banderas himself delivered the biggest surprise to the public. On his Instagram page, he published not just a congratulatory note but a whole mini-film, edited from nearly two dozen photographs. This visual story took viewers through Stella’s entire life: from childhood photos in her father’s arms, to dazzling shots from red carpets, and, of course, the grand finale—pictures from the wedding ceremony at the historic abbey. The actor accompanied the post with words describing his daughter’s wedding as a touching, joyful, and happy family reunion. This gesture sparked a wave of enthusiastic responses from friends and colleagues, including Sharon Stone and Paloma Cuevas, who left warm comments.
However, amid this idyllic picture, attentive observers noticed one unsettling detail. Among nearly twenty photos capturing the happiest moments, not a single one featured the bride’s mother, Melanie Griffith. The actress, who was married to Banderas for almost twenty years and raised Stella until their divorce in 2015, seemed to have vanished from the family chronicle. She was nowhere to be seen in any of the images leaked online by ‘mischievous’ guests, nor alongside her ex-husband when he emerged with a glass of champagne to speak to reporters. This fact raised many questions, as the couple had always maintained exemplary relations after their separation.
Soon, rumors began circulating in the press, shedding light on Griffith’s possible absence. Some American outlets, citing sources close to the family, reported a brewing conflict. Allegedly, Melanie was somewhat upset about being excluded from active participation in the wedding preparations. Reportedly, her enthusiasm and desire to control everything—even down to planning the honeymoon—had begun to annoy Stella and Antonio. According to insiders, Banderas even had to ask his former wife to temper her fervor for the sake of peace, though he understood her excitement. In any case, the father’s beautiful gesture, meant to demonstrate family unity, inadvertently underscored the hidden cracks in the relationship of what was once one of Hollywood’s most beautiful couples.
