Robert’s first serious relationship! That’s who his girlfriend Heath Ledger is related to
Robert Irwin, 18, has officially debuted his first girlfriend – Heath Ledger’s niece Scarlett Buckley.
The teenage son of late ‘Crocodile Hunter’ Steve Irwin was spotted cuddling up to Scarlett, 18, during a romantic beachside date in Queensland on November 18 – and sparks were flying.
Photos published by New Idea magazine show the young couple enjoying a sunset stroll, both unable to wipe the smiles from their faces. After grabbing burgers and fries from a local Grill’d restaurant, the pair eventually found a path of grass and sat down, prompting Robert to throw his arms around the blonde and give her a big bear hug.
While neither have spoken publicly about their blossoming new romance, Robert has been conspicuously following Scarlett’s private Instagram account for some time.
Perth-based Scarlett is the daughter Heath Ledger’s sister Kate, who owns a design and media productions company, and Nathan Buckley, a floor coverings store owner.
Scarlett also has an identical twin sister named Rorie.
Robert and Scarlett have plenty in common – both grew up in the public eye after suffering the devastating loss of a family member.
Heath was at the top of his Hollywood career when he was found dead in January 2008 following an accidental prescription drug overdose.
Kate has since vowed to keep The Dark Knight star’s legacy alive by creating the Heath Ledger Scholarship for promising young Australian actors.
‘Heath is hugely important in the lives of my children,’ she told Who magazine in 2018.
‘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.’
Like Scarlett, Robert is all too familiar with loss.
His father Steve, known to the world as the ‘Crocodile Hunter’, died aged 44, on September 4, 2006, after being pierced in the chest by a stingray.
Steve is survived by his wife Terri, daughter Bindi and son Robert – who was just three years old when his father passed away.
Like Heath’s sister, Robert and the Irwin family have vowed to keep Steve’s memory alive through their conservationist work at Australia Zoo.
‘What I am all about is continuing dad’s legacy,’ Robert said in a recent Instagram video promoting Steve Irwin Day, which is on November 15.
‘He gave it his all. He was always there for us kids. He was the ultimate wildlife warrior and is our greatest inspiration,’ he said.
Robert has been romantically linked to several famous women in recent months, the most recent being Lucia Field, the daughter of Blue Wiggle Anthony Field.
The conservationist and TV star was pictured looking cosy with Lucia, a dancer who performs in The Wiggles alongside her father, at Australia Zoo earlier this month.
Lucia smiled as she tilted her head towards Robert, who placed an arm around her shoulder while giving a thumbs-up for the camera.
The 17-year-old, who was performing at Australia Zoo to celebrate Steve Irwin Day, wore a blue skivvy and black skirt.
At the time, there was is nothing in Lucia or Robert’s social media posts to suggest they are more than friends, but New Idea was nevertheless reporting they may be romantically involved.
The speculation came after fans were convinced Robert was dating American actress and philanthropist Emmy Perry.
The two have been linked for years now, but a recent trip Down Under saw Emmy spending plenty of time at Australia Zoo.
Rob and Emmy were first spotted together in 2019, when they enjoyed a day at Disneyland and also attended the Steve Irwin Gala Dinner in Los Angeles.
Emmy, an animal lover who runs her own animal charity Emmy’s Hope, was said to have been enamoured by Rob, and the two have remained close in the years since.
Emmy, who hails from Newport Beach, California, is the daughter of Northern Irish videogame developer David Perry.
Perry is best known for creating various hit games for 16-bit consoles in the 1990s, including Earthworm Jim and Disney’s Aladdin.
He later sold his cloud-based games service Gaikai to Sony Computer Entertainment in 2012 in a deal worth a reported $380million.
