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Robert Irwin may have a love for wildlife, but his girlfriend Rorie Buckey has stolen his heart.
The 19-year-old zookeeper and son of the late Steve Irwin has been linked to Buckey, 19, since November 2022, though they only made their relationship public in July.
Irwin’s family has been vocal about their love for Buckey, commenting sweet messages on her posts and posing with her for family photos. Shortly after she and Irwin first went public on Instagram, Buckey posted a photo dump of the couple painting and exploring together.
“Love you both so much,” Irwin’s sister, Bindi, commented, while Terri, his mom, wrote, “❤️Wonderful life adventures!”
The two have celebrated several sweet moments during their year of dating. Irwin and Buckey have traveled together across continents, and Buckey often posts about working with Irwin at the Australia Zoo, which his family owns. On one post on Buckey’s Instagram, Irwin even commented, “I love you!!! ☺️❤️.”
So who is Robert Irwin’s girlfriend? Here’s everything to know about Rorie Buckey and her relationship with the wildlife enthusiast.
She is a student
Buckey graduated from high school in 2022 and began studying at Curtin University in Perth, Australia, that same year, per her Facebook. She is working toward a bachelor’s degree in physiotherapy.
She's the niece of late actor Heath Ledger
Simon Fergusson/Getty
Irwin and Buckey both have experienced the death of a close relative. Buckey is the niece of Heath Ledger, who died in 2008 from an accidental overdose. Her mother, Kate, is Heath’s sister and Buckey’s cousin is Matilda Ledger, daughter of Heath and Michelle Williams.
In 2017, Kate opened up to PEOPLE about her niece and how she keeps Heath’s memory alive.
“When [Matilda] picks up her pencil, it reminds me of Heath; when she walks, it reminds me of Heath; when she gets on her skateboard, it reminds me of Heath,” she said. “I tell her about her daddy every time we see each other. I tell her little stories of him growing up and how he used to chase me with the cricket bat.”
She has a twin sister
Tibrina Hobson/Getty
Not only does Buckey have a twin sister, Scarlett, but the two are identical! Unlike Buckey, however, Scarlett is not in the public eye. Her Instagram account is private, though her bio says that she is a pharmacy student.
The twins inspired their mom to write a book called Twin Magic in 2013, which told the story of how a pair of siblings used their powers to get them out of trouble.
“I had the idea years ago, when I saw my girls and realized how magical the twin bond really is,” Kate told Perth Now in 2013.
She went on to add that while her daughters didn’t have magical powers, they did seem to share some twin telepathy.
"Their teacher tells me that even if Rorie and Scarlett aren’t sitting together, they’ll write the same things, or give the same answers,” Kate said. “The other day Rorie went to the nurse with a headache. Scarlett told me later she had one too but didn’t want to say anything because she didn’t want her teacher to think she was making it up."
Buckey and Irwin were first rumored to be together in November 2022
Though they did not address the speculation at the time, Buckey and Irwin were first linked in November 2022 when photographs surfaced of them taking a stroll and grabbing burgers in Queensland, Australia, per The Daily Mail Australia.
Buckey’s father, Nathan, confirmed they were dating and said they “absolutely” had his seal of approval.
That December, they were seen at the Australia Zoo together on Irwin’s birthday, and in April, they were spotted at the airport in Perth.
They made their red carpet debut in July 2023
Lisa Maree Williams/Getty
The couple kept their relationship private until they stepped out onto the Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One red carpet together in July 2023. Irwin wrapped his arm around Buckey as they posed for photos in matching black outfits.
They went Instagram official in August 2023
Irwin confirmed his relationship himself a month later when he posted a picture of the two on his Instagram in late August. Buckey followed suit, posting another picture of them the next day on her own account.
She has since continued to post photos of them together, including snaps of their trip to New York City and of them working together at the Australia Zoo.
Bindi is a fan of Buckey’s
Robert Irwin Instagram
Irwin’s older sister is rooting for his relationship. Bindi raved about Buckey in a sweet Instagram post of her whole family, where she spoke about how grateful she is for each member, including her husband Chandler Powell and her daughter Grace.
She described her brother as the “extrovert” in the family, calling him “hilarious” and “definitely on a giant non stop adventure in life.” She then went on to say a few sweet words about Buckey.
“My brother’s gorgeous girlfriend, @roriebuckey - Sweetest soul, beautiful friend, I love her dearly and you’ll usually see Grace just following her around because she adores her,” she wrote in the caption.
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