It’s a day Steve Irwin would have given the world to be at.
And while his beautiful daughter Bindi (21) and her fiancé Chandler Powell (22) prepare to tie the knot at her family’s beloved Australia Zoo – with Bindi even sharing a sneak peek of her wedding dress on Instagram – it seems her special moment will be marred by the continuing fallout from his tragic death.
Key members of the Irwin clan, including Steve’s father Bob and sister Joy, won’t be among the revellers, after it was revealed the family has been locked in a bitter feud since Steve died in 2006.
After Steve died, Terri and the kids fell out with Bob.
Joy claims Steve’s widow Terri (55) “forced” her and Bob out of Australia Zoo after Steve was killed by a stingray, and says the two sides of the family haven’t spoken since.
“I keep away from all that,” she says. “It’s just very sad… family stuff.”
Bob (80) has even given up hope of an invitation to the big day, which will be held at the zoo sometime next year.
“To be perfectly honest, I wouldn’t expect to be invited to the wedding,” he says.
“Much the same way as any other parent or grandparent, I would wish them all the best – which I do – and hope things go really, really well,” he says, adding that he’s written a letter to his granddaughter expressing his congratulations, but has yet to receive a reply.
Bob and his first wife Judy founded the zoo in 1970 and happily ran the property with Steve and Terri until 2004, when full ownership was handed to the young couple.
It’s reported that the original source of the falling out was Bob’s disapproval of the “commercialisation” of Australia Zoo after Steve’s death.
It’s reported that the original source of the falling out was Bob’s disapproval of the “commercialisation” of the zoo after Steve’s death, and Terri’s alleged drive to promote Bindi and her younger brother Robert (15) as celebrities.
But Bindi has blamed her grandfather’s reluctance to continue a relationship on the fierce pain he felt after Steve was killed.
“Everyone deals with grief differently,” she says.
“When my dad passed away, [Bob] chose to distance himself from everything that Dad loved the most… We’re really just respecting his wishes.”
However, Steve would be incredibly proud of his kids, who share a close bond – with Robert even preparing to walk his sister down the aisle.
