Don Johnson jokes about daughter Dakota dating Chris Martin

Dakota Johnson and Chris Martin’s romance is heating up, but how does the actress’ dad feel about it? Don Johnson addressed the relationship at the Tuesday, January 23, National Television Awards.

“Yeah, that’s … uh troubling, isn’t it?” The 68-year-old actor joked to reporters, according to Digital Spy. “No, she’s a big girl. She can handle herself!”

Us Weekly broke the news in December that the actress, 28, and the Coldplay frontman, 40, were “definitely dating” and it was getting serious.

“They’ve gotten to know each other really well and are very comfortable from one another,” an insider told Us. “Chris sends Dakota his music to get her opinion. It’s more than just a fling.”

The pair recently went to Israel together and have been spotted on the beach in Malibu and at events in Los Angeles together over the past few months. They were also being “super affectionate” in L.A. at Stella McCartney’s collection launch on January 16, an eyewitness told Us.

“She was whispering in his ear, rubbing his back and was super smiley. She seemed happy to be there with him,” the onlooker noted. They “never really left each other’s side or stopped holding hands.”

A source also told Us that the 12-year age difference is not at all an issue with the couple. “Chris is very young at heart so it makes sense for him to be with someone younger,” the insider said. “He likes creative types so it makes sense that he dates actresses. That’s just one of the ways Dakota is very much his type.”

Martin was previously married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow. They share daughter Apple, 13, and son Moses, 11. Following his split from Paltrow, he dated Annabelle Wallis for nearly two years. Johnson has been romantically linked to Benedict Cumberbatch and Jake Gyllenhaal.