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Irwin family hit back after Bindi claims grandfather has ‘ignored' her
Members of the Irwin family have responded to Bindi’s claims that her estranged grandfather has ‘ignored her’ since she was a little girl.
The 22-year-old made the allegations on Sunday when commenting on a Father’s Day Facebook post she shared.
Bindi responded to a fan after they asked why she wasn’t celebrating her grandfather in her gallery of the “most incredible fathers” in her life.
“Unfortunately my grandfather Bob has shown no interest in spending time with me or my family,” she replied.
“He has never said a single kind word to me personally. It breaks my heart but it is not healthy to engage in an abusive relationship.”
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While Bob is yet to respond publicly to his granddaughter’s claims, other members of his inner circle have fired back.
Bethany Wheeler, whose stepmother Mandy is Bob’s daughter, posted on Facebook responding to the “absolutely appalling comments” made by Bindi about her ‘poppy’.
“The time has come to speak up,” she wrote on the public post. “We have all felt sick reading the lies for too long.”
“Poppy is the most genuinely beautiful human on this planet and has NEVER spoken out or put down anybody!”
“He is a man who sits silently and battles his demons alone, in what is great sadness. He doesn’t retaliate, only prays for his grandchildren’s safety and good lives.”
She went on to thank Bob for being an inspiration to her, and finished the post by saying “these lies need to stop”.
Amanda French, who helped co-write Bob’s 2016 memoir, The Last Crocodile Hunter, has also weighed in on the family feud.
“I have sat with [Bob] in hospital many times, lived with him, had him walk me down the aisle and he's also our son's Godfather," she commented on Bindi's Facebook post.
“He hasn't seen you since you were 10. He has done all he knows how to do and that is bury his head in the sand because that's how he copes.”
“He's not someone who is out there about reaching out and communicating, he's like your Dad was. An introvert and not someone who can navigate people well.”
Another one of Bob’s granddaughter’s, Toni Johnstone, replied to Amanda’s comment to reaffirm how “disappointing” Bindi’s words were.
“[Steve] would be furious reading her comment if he were here today,” she said.
Since Bob’s family have publicly responded to the social media post, Bindi has shared a quote from motivational speaker Steve Maraboli on Instagram.
“I don’t think people realise how much strength it takes to pull yourself out of a dark place mentally,” the tile reads. “So if you’ve done that today, or any day, I’m proud of you.”
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