WILDLIFE warrior Robert Irwin and his girlfriend Rorie Buckey have been called Australia’s “sweetest” couple, but they both have tragic pasts.
The loved-up pair publicly debuted their relationship last month at a red carpet event in Sydney.
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Fans have flocked to their respective social medias to leave comments about the inspiration they have found in both of the teens.
Under a picture shared by Rorie of the couple releasing a sea turtle, one person wrote: “The work that you all do is absolutely incredible and truly inspiring.”
Australian actor Hugh Sheridan also couldn’t help but comment on the pair: “I can’t even, two of the absolute sweetest humans ever!!!”
But while most Australians are familiar with Robert’s heartbreak after losing his famous “crocodile hunter” dad Steve, Rorie’s is less known.
Rorie is the niece of globally-adored, Perth-born actor Heath Ledger, who tragically died in 2008, aged 28, of an accidental drug overdose.
He starred in Brokeback Mountain and 10 Things I Hate About You and played the Joker in The Dark Knight.
Police said he died of an accidental abuse of prescription medications including painkillers, anti-anxiety drugs, and sleeping pills.
He had an older sister named Kate – Rorie’s mum, to whom he was very close – and two half-sisters.
Kate, an actress-turned-publicist, previously told Who Magazine: “Heath is hugely important in the lives of my children.
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“There’s not a day that goes by that we don’t share stories or talk about him. He is very much alive in our house.”
Despite his untimely death, Heath’s impact on cinema and performance lives on.
He said in 2006: “You know when you see the preachers down South? And they grab a believer and they go, ‘Bwoom! I touch you with the hand of God!’ And they believe so strongly, they’re on the ground shaking and spitting… Now, I don’t believe in Jesus, but I believe in my performance.
“And if you can understand that the power of belief is one of the great tools of our time and that a lot of acting comes from it, you can do anything.”
Robert’s dad Steve died in 2006, aged 44, while filming at Batt Reef in Queensland for TV series Ocean’s Deadliest.
He was snorkelling in shallow waters when he was stung by a stingray and died of excessive bleeding.
His legacy continues through the conservation work of Australia Zoo, his wife Terri, and his two children Robert and Bindi.
Fans of both Ledger and Steve have shared their joy in seeing their young relatives connecting.
One person said: “An Irwin and a Ledger. The universe can be bloody beautiful sometimes.”
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