Antonio 'Tony' Dominguez is a fictional character

Fictional character

A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...

 in the soap opera

Soap opera

A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...

 The Bold and the Beautiful

The Bold and the Beautiful

The Bold and the Beautiful is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS Daytime. It premiered on March 23, 1987....

, portrayed by actor

Actor

An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...

 Paulo Benedeti from May 2001 to November 2002.

Character

A young Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

 fashion designer, Antonio Dominguez was recruited by fashion house Spectra Fashions, which had been going downhill, to try to help them rebuild their company with a new look. Eric Forrester

Eric Forrester

Eric Forrester is a fictional character on the CBS Daytime soap opera, The Bold and the Beautiful. He has been portrayed by John McCook since the show's debut in 1987...

 (John McCook

John McCook

John McCook is an American actor best known for his roles on daytime soap operas.-Career:Since 1987, he has played the role of Eric Forrester on The Bold and the Beautiful. From 1976 to February 1980, he portrayed the character of Lance Prentiss on The Young and the Restless. In addition, he has...

), the CEO of Forrester Creations, had the same idea, sending his daughter, Kristen (Tracy Lindsey Melchior

Tracy Lindsey Melchior

Tracy Lindsey Melchior is an American actress, notable for her role as Kristen Forrester Dominguez on the CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful, which she played on a contract basis from 2001 to 2003 with reprisal guest appearances in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009. She originated the...

), who had recently returned from New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, to convince Tony to join them.

Proving loyal to Spectra, Tony turned town Kristen's job offer, but instead took her up on a date. They soon began to develop feelings for each other. Their romance was plagued from the start, with Tony discovering that a past love of his, Ellen, had died from AIDS

AIDS

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...

. Tony was forced to realize his risk of developing the disease. With the help of psychiatrist

Psychiatrist

A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...

 Dr. Taylor Hayes Forrester, Tony came to terms with the results of his HIV

HIV

Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...

 test as positive. On the night Kristen anticipated Tony to propose to her, she was shocked to learn of his condition and his request despite the very minimal chances, that Kristen take a HIV test. Tony broke his relationship off with Kristen for fear that she would contract the disease.

A determined Kristen continued to implore and pursue Tony and promised to fulfill his deepest longings. Kristen's insistence led to Tony giving in to their passion for one another. Kristen and Tony were completely aware of the ramifications of continuing their relationship before announcing it to Eric and Stephanie

Stephanie Douglas Forrester

Stephanie Forrester is a fictional character on the American soap opera, The Bold and the Beautiful. She is known for her on-again, off-again marriages to the famed fashion designer, Eric Forrester, and for her rivalry with Brooke Logan, who has been involved with Eric and her sons, Ridge and Thorne...

 (Susan Flannery

Susan Flannery

Susan Flannery is an American soap opera actress. She is known for her role Stephanie Forrester on The Bold and the Beautiful and for her role as Dr. Laura Spencer Horton on Days of our Lives ....

). Soon after, Kristen proposed to Tony.

Although Kristen's family were initially opposed to the union, all tension was overcome when Eric finally accepted Tony's request for him to stand up as best man. After Tony and Kristen married, they honeymoon

Honeymoon

-History:One early reference to a honeymoon is in Deuteronomy 24:5 “When a man is newly wed, he need not go out on a military expedition, nor shall any public duty be imposed on him...

ed in Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

 on Safari

Safari

A safari is an overland journey, usually a trip by tourists to Africa. Traditionally, the term is used for a big-game hunt, but today the term often refers to a trip taken not for the purposes of hunting, but to observe and photograph animals and other wildlife.-Etymology:Entering the English...

. While there, they encountered Zende

Zende Forrester Dominguez

Zende Forrester Dominguez is a fictional character in the CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. Actor Daniel E. Smith played the role from December 2001 until May 2002, and briefly returned in October 2005.-Character history:...

 (Daniel E. Smith), an orphan

Orphan

An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...

 who was accused of stealing a roll of film from them. They soon bonded with the boy. Later at Zende's orphanage

Orphanage

An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...

, Tony and Kristen learned that many of the children there were orphans of AIDS. Tony and Kristen fell in love with Zende and wanted to raise him. They left Africa, but returned a short while later and adopted

Adoption

Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...

 Zende and took him back to L.A. with them. Tony, Kristen and Zende faded into the background, and have since been said to be living in Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

. Kristen continues to make frequent appearances in L.A. for family and business reasons.