Bindi Irwin opens up about becoming a parent without dad Steve: ‘It’s devastating’
It’s been nearly 15 years since Steve Irwin died, but his memory still lives on through his two children, Bindi and Robert Irwin.
In a preview of new special “Crikey! It’s a Baby,” which debuts on Discovery+ on Sunday, Bindi Irwin opened up about how her daughter, Grace, will never get to meet her maternal grandfather.
“It’s hard knowing that she’ll never get to actually meet (my dad), and it’s devastating because I’ll never get to watch that connection,” the 22-year-old said in a clip shared by Animal Planet. “But I cannot wait to be able to tell beautiful Grace all of these stories about Dad, to be able to share with her what an amazing father he was."
The new mom began to tear up, adding, “It’s gonna be really special for her to know him through us ... to tell her about what an amazing man he was.”
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“It is really hard, it’s hard that he’s not here because out of everyone in the world he would’ve loved her the most,” she continued. “He would’ve loved her so much, but I think, in a way, he is still with us. His heart and soul lives on in all of us, so he’s never really gone.”
Bindi Irwin and her husband, Chandler Powell, welcomed Grace on March 25, which was also their first wedding anniversary.
The couple celebrated their daughter turning 1 month old on Sunday. On Instagram, Bindi Irwin shared a series of photos of Grace wearing her first khakis, the famous Australia Zoo uniform the Irwin family has worn for decades.
“To celebrate one month, our beautiful Grace Warrior received her first khakis and met the star tortoises here at Australia Zoo,” she wrote in the caption. “We’re so proud of our Wildlife Warrior princess. I know our darling girl is going to grow up caring for Mother Earth and all her animals.”
Powell shared an adorable video to his Instagram, as well.
“One month of life with our beautiful girl??,” he wrote. “She’s already got her own khakis and is helping take care of star tortoises at #AustraliaZoo. We love you Grace!”
Bindi Irwin has found many ways to honor her father throughout major moments in her life, including a tributes to him at her intimate wedding ceremony and keeping Irwin as her last name.
She and Powell also took time to re-create an adorable family moment during her pregnancy. In January, she shared a photo of Powell kissing her bare stomach in her third trimester followed by a throwback photo of herself and Steve Irwin kissing mom Terri Irwin's belly while she was pregnant with Robert.
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Even in his absence, Bindi Irwin is confident her dad would've been a “good, good grandpa.”
"I don't think we would've ever seen our daughter,” she told Entertainment Tonight a month before giving birth. “He would've just whisked her away into the zoo, and it would've been perfect. But it is so nice that we'll be able to introduce her to her grandfather through all of the documentaries. It's really special."
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