Is Bindi Irwin Really Marrying Chandler Powell? And What Will She Do Now That ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Is Over?
Bindi Irwin has responded to rumors that she and her boyfriend, Chandler Powell, are planning on using some of her Dancing with the Stars winnings to elope. Chandler supported Bindi throughout her time competing on DWTS, even though he wasn’t always able to make it to the show. It’s obvious that 17-year-old Bindi and 19-year-old Chandler are madly in love with one another, but the adorable lovebirds aren’t planning on flying away and building a love nest just yet.
According to spokesperson for Bindi Irwin, Chandler Powell hasn’t put a ring on it, so right now Bindi will just have to settle for the massive piece of bling that she and Derek Hough won on Dancing with the Stars: that glittering Mirrorball Trophy.
I am speechless. I can’t tell you how much love I have for all of your support throughout this beautiful journey. pic.twitter.com/05lif561bA
— Bindi Irwin (@BindiIrwin) November 25, 2015
Australian tabloid New Idea recently tried to claim that Bindi and her professional wakeboarder boyfriend were planning on getting hitched and heading to Oregon to settle down far away from Bindi’s home at the Australia Zoo.
“After taking out the winner’s trophy on U.S. Dancing With The Stars, Bindi Irwin now feels ready to take on the world – and that includes getting married!” New Idea wrote. “Growing up under her mum Terri’s protective wing, Bindi and her Florida-born boyfriend Chandler Powell are now planning on eloping to Oregon.”
“Bindi and Chandler are madly in love and can’t wait to make things official,” a source allegedly told New Idea.
However, a spokesperson for the Australia Zoo denied that Bindi Irwin is getting married — she and Chandler Powell aren’t even engaged yet.
“It’s not true. There’s been no proposal.”
The spokesperson went on to say that Bindi Irwin is finally going to return to her home at the Australia Zoo after spending weeks competing on Dancing with the Stars in Los Angeles. Bindi’s super-supportive younger brother, Robert Irwin, is celebrating his 12th birthday on Tuesday, and Bindi wants to make sure that she gets home in time to help him mark the milestone. Robert popped up on Dancing with the Stars quite a few times, and he never had anything but nice things to say about his older sister.
I can’t wait to have you back in The City Of Angels with me. #HappinessLooksLikeThis pic.twitter.com/dfuEpZeXOS — Bindi Irwin (@BindiIrwin) October 15, 2015
The Australia Zoo spokesperson didn’t say whether Bindi Irwin’s boyfriend will also be attending Robert’s birthday party, but Bindi and Robert’s mother, Terri Irwin, has said that Chandler Powell is very good pals with Robert — Chandler will even abandon poor Bindi to spend time with his little buddy.
Because of their busy schedules, Bindi Irwin and Chandler Powell find it very difficult to find time to spend together, and it sounds like they’re rarely alone whenever they do. According to Terri, she and Robert often accompany Bindi and Chandler on their dates.
“We’ll be on a picnic, and the boys will go off exploring together, and Bindi’s stuck with me, going, ‘Well, I wonder when they’re going to be back?'” Terri told People.
Bindi Irwin and Chandler Powell met in 2013 when he was gave Chandler and his family a tour of the Australian Zoo. According to the Daily Mail, Florida native Chandler was there for a wakeboarding competition. He later gave someone at the zoo his e-mail address, hoping that Bindi would want to stay in touch. She started corresponding with Chandler, and they quickly became close friends. Eventually, their long-distance friendship developed into something more.
Instead of using her Dancing with the Stars winnings to get married in Oregon, Bindi Irwin is going back to school. She told People that she was taking college classes online before she headed to California for Dancing with the Stars, and she’s pursuing degrees that will help her continue to pursue her passion: animal conservation. Bindi has already earned a business degree, and now she plans on earning one in tourism.
America fell in love with Australia’s Sweetheart during her stint on Dancing with the Stars, but the Girl Wonder from Down Under isn’t going to use the fame that she gained to go Hollywood. Bindi Irwin told People that Australia will always be her home, and it sounds like the Crocodile Hunter’s daughter is pursuing college degrees that will prepare her to take on more duties at her family’s zoo when she gets a little older.
If Bindi Irwin does decide to spend the rest of her life living and working at the Australia Zoo, do you think Chandler Powell would leave his life in America behind to be with her, or are he and Bindi too young to be thinking about settling down and making such huge life decisions?
[Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images]
