Though Stella Banderas dropped Griffith from her last name, the young woman still shares a tight bond with her superstar mom, Melanie, who recently gushed over her stunning daughter on her 27th birthday with a sweet Instagram post.
The Lolita star, who turned 66 in August, posted a loving tribute to her youngest in her brood of three, and the only child she shares with ex-husband, Antonio Banderas.
Sharing a carousel of throwback photos, Griffith wrote on Sunday, “Happy Birthday my beautiful Stella!”
But it wasn’t just her mom who showered Stella with praise! Keep reading to see what her handsome dad had to say!
Stella del Carmen Banderas Griffith was born on September 24, 1996 to Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith, who were married almost 20 years until their divorce in 2015. Like her famous father, she was born in Spain and is bilingual, speaking English and Spanish fluently.
In 2021, Stella legally changed her last name, shortening it for convenience.
According to People, court documents show the model and actress cites her reason as wanting “to shorten my name by removing the extra last name.” Banderas said in the file, “As well, I typically do not use ‘Griffith’ when referring to myself or on documents…So, dropping the name would match my regular use.”
Stella, the only child that Griffith shares with the Zorro star, comes from a star-studded family that includes her maternal grandmother Tippi Hedren, of Alfred Hitchcock fame, and older half-brother Alexander Bauer, from Griffiths’ relationship with Steven Bauer, who’s known for Scarface and Breaking Bad.
Stella also has a super famous half-sister, Dakota Johnson, the star of Fifty Shades of Grey. Dakota is the daughter of Griffith and her first husband, Don Johnson, who were married twice; once between 1976 and 1979, and again between 1989 and 1996.
In a 2019 speech, Dakota presented her stepfather Banderas with an award at the Hollywood Film Awards ceremony and during her speech, she recalled, “When I was 6 years old, my mother married a man who brought an unbelievably bright light and a whole new world of creativity and culture–and one remarkably magical little sister into our family.”
And when Stella was only three, she and Dakota appeared in the movie Crazy in Alabama, which was directed by her father and starred her real-life mother as the on-screen mom to both sisters.
Sharing memories from filming her first movie with her baby sister, Dakota said, “…every time Antonio, my stepfather, [Stella’s] dad, yelled, ‘Action,’ she’d freak, she’d just burst into tears and would be sobbing the entire take. He’d yell cut, come over, and be like, ‘Stella,’ and she’d be fine and happy. I think she thought it was really scary when he yelled ‘action.’”
Now at 26, Stella no longer fears the word “action,” but she is following a path outside of Hollywood.
Finding her passions in fashion design, Stella—who graced the September 2020 cover of Glamour Spain—is also a model.
Despite not following the career path of her A-list celebrity mom and dad, Stella still has an incredibly close relationship with both parents.
On Stella’s birthday, the Working Girl star showed her daughter a lot of love with a sweet Instagram post with a carousel of throwback photos.
“Happy Birthday my beautiful Stella! Since the day you were born you have brought so much love, compassion and joy to our family and into the world. I love you with all of my heart. I’m honored to be your Mama,” Griffith writes.
Fans poured in with wishes, many of them pointing out the similarities between the mother and her two daughters. “Your daughters resemble you so much. Such beautiful ladies,” writes one, while another says, “Your mini-me! Happy Birthday!”
Another netizen suggests that Stella looks more like her handsome father, “She really looks like her dad there.”
Meanwhile Banderas, who voiced the witty Puss in Boots in Shrek, also showered his daughter with wishes. In a separate Instagram post, Banderas shared a second group of photos showing the daughter and dad duo through the years.
Translated from Spanish, Banderas writes, “My dear daughter, your arrival to the world 27 years ago is still the most beautiful day of my life. Congratulations Stella del Carmen!!!”
Griffith was the first to comment on the post with, “our angel girl.”
Many fans also chimed in with wishes and thoughts, “How nice you’re a great dad before a super actor, a father!!!! Don’t you change!” writes one, while a second shares, “Happy Birthday may your path be filled with that magic we all need in our lives and that you sure know how to give it.”
A third says, “She has her daddy’s looks.”
Happy 27th birthday Stella Banderas! It’s so nice to see how deeply she is loved by both her parents, and by her stepsister Dakota Johnson!
Do you think Stella resembles her mother or her father? Please share this story and let’s see what others have to say about this beautiful woman!
If you enjoyed reading this story about Melanie Griffith’s youngest daughter, you’ll probably also like the story about Dakota Johnson and her experience filming 50 Shades.
READ MORE
- Antonio Banderas doesn’t call Dakota Johnson his stepdaughter – he accepts her fully
- Melanie Griffith reunited with ex-husband Antonio Banderas – post Instagram pictures of the encounter
