Australia Zoo insider claims Bindi Irwin never wanted to follow her father's footsteps
An insider at Australia Zoo has claimed that Bindi Irwin never wanted to follow in the footsteps of her late father.
Justin Lyons, a cameraman who was there the day Steve Irwin died from a stingray attack in 2006, said in a recent interview that Australia Zoo is almost "cult-like" with Steve's imagery looming everywhere, reminding him of the day the original wildlife warrior died.
Among his stunning revelations, he claims the now 24-year-old Bindi initially "didn't really want" to follow in her famous dad's footsteps.
"Bindi and I spent a lot of time together," Justin told Woman's Day. "We'd go up to Far North Queensland and while they were doing whatever, Bindi and I would go off. She'd say to me, 'I don't really like bugs', but she was expected to do all this crazy stuff."
The allegations are a far cry from Bindi's own words, given that in 2018 she told Insider, "Ever since I can remember, I've always said, 'When I grow up, I want to be just like Dad.'"
However, some sources close to the Irwin family say there "may be a layer of truth" to Justin's comments.
"She couldn't have predicted it back when she was a little kid wandering around the bush with Justin, but the reality is Bindi is in a tough position," says an insider.
"She was a big star for a time in America and for a while it looked like she was set to break the big time in Hollywood, but now she's back at the zoo learning the ropes to take over when her mother retires, and as it is currently, its glory days are long over."
The insider claimed Bindi feels torn between two worlds, as she strives to make her parents proud with her ongoing work at Australia Zoo, but also the pull back to the US, where she has the potential to make a name for herself in her husband Chandler Powell's home country.
"Bindi and Chandler have often toyed with the idea of moving to the States, especially now they have baby Grace, and they've barely seen Chandler's parents in recent years," says a source.
"But Bindi feels tied to the zoo, whether she wants to be or not."
Image credits: Getty Images