Bindi Irwin’s husband Chandler Powell has given a message of support for his wife after she announced she was stepping down from social media and “taking a break”.
The decision follows after Bindi publicly exposed her fractured relationship with her grandfather, Bob Irwin.
The Australian conservationist took to Instagram on Monday evening to announce she was temporarily stepping back “from social media and most of my work in the public eye” to be with her “beautiful daughter” and “wonderful family”.
The previous evening, the 22-year-old claimed she suffered psychological “abuse” because of her estranged grandfather’s silence.
The bombshell post followed with the revelation that Bob had “shown no interest” in spending time with her 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,” she said.
“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.”
Speaking on The Latest on Monday evening, Amanda French, who is the author of the book The Last Crocodile Hunter, revealed he was “deeply upset” by the comments.
“Naturally Bob’s quite upset about it, and to be perfectly honest we haven’t told him the full extent of the comments because we’re quite concerned about how he might take that,” she said.
Following the reaction, Bindi announced she was stepping down from social media temporarily.
“I feel tremendously grateful to share our life and conservation work with you but I need some time to focus on the happiness that is my family (both human and animal),” she revealed.
“Recently, I’ve had many people reaching out to share their own stories of working hard to protect their mental health. Thank you for sharing and speaking your truth.
“To my friends who are dealing with depression, anxiety and other battles every day – I see you.
“These issues are very real and deserve to be discussed and addressed. Surround yourself with the light of people who genuinely care about you and will support you during the good times and the hard times.
“Remember there are helplines available. Mental health deserves more understanding and support instead of being dismissed or patronised. You are absolutely worthy of love and kindness,” she concluded.
On Monday night, Bindi’s husband Chandler Powell shared a strong message of support for his wife.
“You inspire me with your unwavering kindness and your ability to stand up for what is right,” he wrote on Instagram.
“You are the strongest and most beautiful person inside and out.
“Grace has an amazing mama to look up to.”
This article originally appeared on Over60.