Australian adventurer Steve Irwin was beloved by many for his quick-wit and entertaining presence on television.
Sadly, the animal lover was killed back in 2006 when he was just 44. He died after a tragic accident saw a stingray pierce him in the heart while filming.
The freak accident happened on September 4, 2006, while the television star was filming at Batt Reef in Queensland for the series Ocean’s Deadliest.
Nearly 14 years after his devastating death, a rumoured feud between the Irwin clan arose after late Steve’s older sister Joy told the Daily Mail Australia the clan had drifted apart.
So what really happened in those years after Steve Irwin’s death? From estranged family members to an elder becoming a recluse, Daily Star Online explores the sad family fallout of the Irwins.
Steve tragically passed away after being attacked by a stingray in 2006 (Image: Getty Images)
The news of the clan’s rumoured rift arose last year after Joy Muscillo, who is Steve’s older sister, revealed that the family don’t speak to each other anymore.
She reportedly said that Steve’s wife Terri and their children, Robert and Bindi estranged themselves after his death.
Joy told the Daily Mal Australia that the situation was “very sad”.
She said to the publication: “I keep away from all that. It’s just very sad…family stuff.”
The Irwin clan are said to have alienated themselves from the rest of the family since Steve died (Image: Getty Images)
Joy was a member of staff at Beerwah Reptile Park which was later Australia Zoo, where she worked alongside her family, including her husband Frank.
Joy claimed Steve’s wife Terri “walked her husband out” of the zoo in 2008, which resulted in Joy deciding to quit, as did her adult children and father Bob who worked there too.
It was later revealed that Steve Irwin’s father Bob had become a recluse, choosing to live a life of solitude after his son tragically passed away.
Bob is said to have become a recluse after his son’s devastating death (Image: Reuters)
The 80-year-old father of the late Crocodile Hunter reportedly hasn’t spoken to Terri or the children for more than 10 years after his son’s death and the ‘feud’.
He’s said to live behind a locked gate with signs warning people to stay away.
Daily Mail Australia reported that Steve’s father now lives in a secluded 60-acre property named Camp Chilli, which borders a national park.
One local is reported to have said: “He’s quiet [when I see him], just goes about his business and leaves.
“I think he just wants to be left alone.”
Bindi’s father died almost 14 years ago (Image: Getty Images Contributor)
Steve’s daughter Bindi announced she was engaged to her beau Chandler Powell last July, revealing the exciting news on her 21st birthday.
She has since said that her brother Robert, 16, is walking her down the aisle, stepping into her late father’s shoes for the big day.
The feud however allegedly caused Bob to think he wasn’t invited to the pair’s big day, which is set to happen later in the year.
Bindi and Chandler announced their engagement last year, saying they’re tying the knot in Australia Zoo (Image: AFP/Getty Images)
Bob revealed signs of the estranged relationship when he reportedly said he didn’t expect to be invited to his granddaughter’s wedding ceremony.
However, Bindi addressed the alleged feud, seemingly referring to Bob at the AACTA Awards in Sydney 2015.
Bindi said in a heartfelt speech: “Everyone deals with grief differently.
“When my dad passed away he (Bob) chose to distance himself from everything that Dad loved the most.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
