Wildlife Prince Robert Irwin (20) and Rorie Buckey (19) have broken up after nearly two years of dating.
This announcement came in an Instagram story shared by both Irwin and Buckey stating, ‘We wanted to share that we have decided to go our separate ways but profoundly appreciate all of the time spent together and wish one another all the very best in the future.’
‘We wish to express the gratitude and respect we have for one another as we continue our journeys on different paths. ‘We won’t be commenting further on this, and really appreciate your respect and privacy at this time. – Robert and Rorie.”
Irwin, the son of the late “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin, and Buckey, the niece of the late actor Heath Ledger, were first linked together romantically in November of 2022 when spotted going on a date in Queensland, Australia.
Weeks later, Irwin and Buckey were photographed again for Robert’s 19th birthday at the Irwin’s Australian Zoo. During this event, Robert Irwin and his mother, Terri Irwin, performed a show as Buckey watched in the stands.
However, the two didn’t publicly announce their relationship until they walked the red carpet in July 2023 at the Sydney premiere of “Mission: Impossible– Dead Reckoning Part One.”
Their announcement resulted in mixed reactions online, ranging from congratulations to the despair of heartbroken fans.
One fan wrote, ‘Rob this is a weird way to propose to me’ while another wrote, ‘Gday Rob, the niece is crying thanks mate.’
Other comments included, ‘Siri play that should be me by Justin Bieber,’ ‘My poor little heart,’ and ‘My condolences to all the broken hearts in Australia AU.’
On Instagram, some even noted that the comment section was ‘disappointing’ and ‘creepy as af.’
One follower said ‘this comment section is disappointing remove yourself from whatever parasocial relationship you’ve constructed and treat people with kindness.’
Other comments suggested that Rorie was ‘already starting to look like an Irwin’ and that ‘she looks just like Bindi.’
Following their public debut, the two made several public appearances, both in-person and online. The two even dressed as Barbie and Ken for Halloween (Robert even lip-synced ‘I’m Just Ken in a video that can still be found on his Instagram).
Robert Irwin’s sister, Bindi Irwin-Powell, even posted on Instagram gushing about Buckey, describing her as “My brother’s gorgeous girlfriend. Sweetest soul, beautiful friend, I love her dearly, and you’ll usually see Grace [Bindi’s daughter with husband Chandler Powell] just following her around because she adores her.”
Five months after their announcement as a couple, Rorie Buckey posted that she had begun working at the Australia Zoo alongside the Irwin clan, even updating her Instagram bio to include “Wildlife Warrior,” like Robert (she has removed this from her bio since the breakup).
This sparked rumors that Robert intended to propose to Rorie sooner rather than later.
During their relationship, there was even some speculation that Robert was going to move to Perth, Rorie’s home city and the capital of Western Australia (the Australia Zoo is in Queensland, across the continent from Perth).
This rumor did not come to fruition during their relationship.
Since their breakup, Robert is reportedly single, and Rorie has kept herself from the spotlight. The two have dodged any questions regarding their relationship and the decision to split.
While most photos of them together have been scrubbed off of their individual social media, some posts of Rorie and the Irwin family still remain on Terri and Bindi’s social media accounts.
Rorie is likely to continue to study for a Bachelor of Science degree in physiotherapy at Curtin University in Perth.
Robert continues working at his family’s zoo and has recently taken up a cohosting gig on an Australian reality TV show called I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
He also stars in the family’s docuseries Crikey… It’s The Irwins and made a guest appearance in a 2020 episode of Bluey called “The Quiet Game” (Author-approved episode).
Any rumors of Robert leaving the zoo have since stopped after the breakup between him and Buckey. As of 2024, he continues to follow in his father’s footsteps as a zookeeper and wildlife conservationist with the rest of his family.