Robert Irwin and Rorie Buckey have split.
In a joint statement shared on Irwin’s Instagram story, the former couple announced that they had broken up after more than a year together.
“We wanted to share that we have decided to go our seperate ways but profoundly appreciate all of the time spent together and wish one another all the very best into the future,” the statement read in part.
They added, “We wish to express the gratitude and respect we have for one another as we continue our journeys on different paths.”
To conclude their statement, Robert Irwin, 20, and Buckey, 19, said that they would not comment further on the split and “really appreciate your respect and privacy at this time.”
Robert Irwin, a wildlife photographer and the son of the late "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin, and Buckey, Heath Ledger's niece, made their red carpet debut in July 2023 at the Sydney premiere of “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One.” At the time, it was reported that they had been dating since 2022, but the couple hadn’t publicly confirmed their relationship.
They were first linked in November 2022 after they were spotted on a date in Queensland. Weeks later on Robert Irwin's birthday in December 2022, they were photographed again at the Australia Zoo. Robert Irwin and his mother, Terri, performed a show while Buckey watched in the stands.
Buckey was featured in several of his sister Bindi’s posts on social media. In October 2023, Bindi Irwin posted a photo on her Instagram of her younger brother and mother, as well as her husband, Chandler Powell, and their daughter, Grace. She also included her brother’s “gorgeous girlfriend,” Buckey, praising her in the caption.
“Sweetest soul, beautiful friend, I love her dearly and you’ll usually see Grace just following her around because she adores her,” Bindi Irwin wrote.
Buckey also participated in a silly family video from November 2023 taken at the annual Steve Irwin Gala in Brisbane.
During their relationship, Robert Irwin and Buckey made several public appearances as a couple, including at the 2023 Earthshot Prize Awards in Singapore and the GQ Australia Men Of The Year Awards back in December.
They were most recently photographed in the stands at the 2024 Australian Open on Jan. 25 in Melbourne.