Robert Irwin And Heath Ledger's Daughter, Matilda: A 'Secret' Relationship Revealed

Late last year, news broke that the 19-year-old TV personality, conservationist, and son of the late Steve Irwin was dating Rorie, who’s the niece of Matilda’s dad, Heath Ledger.

The Perth-based beauty, 18, is the daughter of Heath’s sister, Kate. And although her cousin Matilda lives in the US, the two teenagers have made sure to keep in touch over the years.

Seventeen-year-old Matilda, meanwhile, is the only daughter of Heath and American actress Michelle Williams.

Last month, Robert flew to New York to be with his older sister, Bindi Irwin, as she went through surgery for endometriosis.

The trip provided the perfect chance for him to bond with his girlfriend’s cousin, who is based in Brooklyn with her mom.

Robert’s life story has an eerie similarity to Matilda’s, too, as they both lost their dads in devastating accidents.

Steve Irwin, the hugely popular Aussie wildlife icon, died in 2006 after a stingray pierced him in the chest while he was filming in the Great Barrier Reef. His son Robert was only 2 years old at the time.

Heath Ledger, meanwhile, passed away in 2008 from an accidental overdose of six prescription drugs. Like Robert, Matilda was only 2 when she lost her father.

An insider spoke to Woman’s Day about the two teenagers, saying, “It’s hard to imagine a pair of Aussie kids who share a more similar story.”

“It really is a twist of fate that they ended up sharing such a strong link through Rorie,” the source added.

Having lost his dad at such a young age, the wildlife expert doesn’t have a lot of memories of Steve.

That is why the insider noted, “Getting to know Matilda, who's in a similar boat not remembering her dad because she was so young, would be so cathartic for him.”

As for his trip to New York, he reportedly enjoyed it so much that he might consider moving there – at least temporarily.

After all, Robert is also a wildlife photographer who has worked with National Geographic, which is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has offices in New York as well.

An industry source from the US told the publication, “Everyone agrees his career would go forward in leaps and bounds if he spent more time in the States.”

Even Robert’s mom, Terri Irwin, believes he could flourish in the US, especially after seeing how “very inspired” he was during his trip to New York.

If a move Stateside does happen, Terri “would be so happy for him to have someone like Matilda to lean on,” one of Woman’s Day’s sources said.

However, Terri’s hoping “he doesn't stay away from Australia Zoo for too long” either.

Robert and Rorie debuted their romance in November last year when they were spotted looking cozy during a beachside date in Queensland, Australia. The zookeeper had his arms wrapped around his ladylove in the photos.