Robert Irwin and Heath Ledger’s Niece Rorie Buckey Make Their Red Carpet Debut Together

Robert Irwin and Rorie Buckey just made their relationship red carpet-official! The happy couple made their red carpet debut at the Sydney premiere of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One on Monday, July 3, more than seven months after they sparked romance rumors when they were spotted together in Queensland, Australia.

For the big outing, Irwin, the 19-year-old son of late TV star Steve Irwin, looked dapper in an all-black suit. Buckley, who is the niece of the late Heath Ledger, stepped out for the night in a black, off-the-shoulder dress that featured a side cutout. The duo packed on the PDA and were photographed lovingly gazing into one another’s eyes and with Irwin wrapping his arm around his girlfriend.

Irwin and Buckey have been romantically linked since last year and were first spotted together walking side-by-side, eating burgers, and watching the sunset together in Queensland in November 2022, per Australia’s New Idea. Since that first outing together, the duo has been seen together on numerous occasions, with Buckey joining the Irwin family for some birthday celebrations at the Australian Zoo. Per reports, Buckey was spotted in the crowd as Irwin and his mother, Terri, performed a show on his birthday. The couple was also spotted at the airport in Perth in April.

Irwin’s romance comes after he previously alluded to being on the lookout for love when speaking to E! News in an October 2022 interview. Irwin told the outlet that his big sister Bindi Irwin wanted him to find a special someone after she welcomed her daughter Grace Warrior with husband Chandler Powell in March 2021. Noting that the family is constantly surrounded by rumors regarding his sister’s love life and the possibility of a second baby, he shared that his sister “always says, ‘Robert, it’s your turn now. You gotta find someone to take the heat off me!’” At the time, Irwin told the outlet he would “get there” someday.

Although Irwin and Buckey have yet to make their relationship Instagram official, the animal conservationist hasn’t shied away from expressing his love for his family online. Just last month, Irwin shared an adorable gallery of images of himself and his niece, Grace, sweetly capturing the post, “My favorite moments.” He also shared a throwback photo of his parents as he marked their wedding anniversary, calling his parents his “biggest inspirations.”