Bob Irwin’s friend sets the record straight: “He hasn’t been back to Australia Zoo"
Bob Irwin’s close friend Amanda French, who co-wrote his Irwin’s autobiography The Last Crocodile Hunter has dropped some major bombs.
While in conversation with Brisbane’s Stav, Abby and Matt, Amanda revealed how devastating it was to hear Bindi Irwin’s claims of “psychological abuse” made against her grandfather.
Amanda clarified that while there has been bad blood between the family, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to fans.
“Bob resigned from Australia Zoo in 2008 and hasn’t seen the kids since that time,” she began.
Bob and his son, Steve Irwin
“It’s a surprise with what Bindi came out and said. There were some pretty weighty terms that were thrown around, psychological abuse and all that stuff.
“You’d have to have some pretty big evidence to back that. It’s a pretty big call to make.”
Amanda says Bob refuses to share what exactly went down between him and Australia Zoo, but alluded that management made big changes when Steve passed away.
“He’s maintained a very neutral position about it [resigning] even when he published his autobiography,” she said.
“The reason why he did that is because he knew there would be consequences for Australia Zoo.
“He didn’t see eye-to-eye on issues to do with Australia Zoo at the time and some of the animals.”
Amanda also touched on the gifts Bob returned, saying they were only ever sent from Terri and were incredibly “strange”.
Steve, Terri and Bindi Irwin
“I’ve been there when he’s received gifts, and it was a shower cap,” she said.
“Really strange thing to send a man. To me it’s a passive aggressive thing to do, that’s my perspective. After a while of that, Bob returned one of the gifts.”
Amanda also set the record straight on Bindi’s comments about how her family was continuing to financially support Bob, despite having a fractured relationship with him.
She said Bob gifted the sanctuary to Steve and Irwin when they got married.
“He gave them that zoo.
“There was always an agreement that he would be on a pension and looked after.”
She went on to say it’s been difficult for Bob, who cannot visit his son’s burial site as it is located in the zoo.
“It’s hard for him not to be able to return to his son’s resting place as you can understand,” she revealed.
“He hasn’t been back to Australia Zoo since the wildlife hospital was launched in 2008. It was supposed to be dedicated to Bob and his late wife Lynne, because that was where Lynne did the bulk of her wildlife work.
Bob Irwin for The Last Crocodile Hunter
“They retracted Bob’s invitation to attend that launch and he turned up anyway. I organised that event and I remember him turning up on the day and sitting in the audience looking very upset.”
Amanda, who has a close relationship with the family, maintained that Bob is a good person.
So much so in fact, that many staff members have left the zoo under Terri’s management due to similar issues that Bob had.
“When I went back to write the book and spoke to those key people who worked with Bob and Steve, there was still some bad blood there with how they were treated. They adored them [Bob and Steve], and never had a boss like them again.”
Amanda says that while she wrote the book about the croc hunter, Bob did try to send his grandchildren letters but was unsure if they were receiving them or not.
Due to the confusion, Amanda says Bob chose to “close off the book with a message to his grandkids” instead.
Bindi Irwin made upsetting allegations against her grandfather, Bob Irwin in her Father’s Day post dedicated to her own father, her husband, Chandler Powell, and her father-in-law.
When asked why she left her grandfather out of the post, Bindi unleashed, saying: “Unfortunately my grandfather Bob has shown no interest in spending time with me or my family.
“He has returned gifts I’ve sent him after he opened them, he has ignored my correspondence and from the time I was a little girl he has ignored me, preferring to spend time doing anything else rather than being with me,” Bindi went on to say.
“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.
“I hope everyone remembers to be kind to one another but most of all care for your own mental health,” she added.
“I have struggled with this relationship my entire life and it brings me enormous pain.”
Bindi has since taken time away from social media, citing it was for her well-being.
Images: Supplied