Bindi Irwin's Marriage With Husband Chandler Powell Is Full Of Green Flags

Conservationists Bindi Irwin and Chandler Powell are crazy about one another. On each of their Instagram feeds, photos of crocodiles and koalas are mixed in with many glowing tributes to their close bond. "How is it possible to love you more every day, @chandlerpowell? Thank you for being the best. ❤️," wrote Irwin beneath an Instagram snap of the couple posing with a lemur. Powell is similarly effusive. "Every day feels like Valentine's Day with you," he wrote beneath an Instagram post of the couple taking a mirror selfie. "Thankful to be living this incredible life with you."

The couple's fairytale romance started when they were teenagers, and has raised green flag after green flag since. Irwin has undergone a gorgeous transformation over the years, and Powell has been beside her every step of the way. The concept of "the one" is outdated, but not for this happy couple who are clearly poised to go the distance.

Bindi Irwin announced her marriage to Chandler Powell with an Instagram post that showed the couple sharing a kiss, along with an effusive caption. "I married my best friend," she wrote. Powell has expressed the same sentiment. "I married my best friend," he wrote in a 2020 Instagram caption beneath a selfie of the smiling couple. Attraction and passion often play key roles in who we decide to marry, but friendship is often a key predictor of relationship success. A relationship rooted in friendship suggests that Irwin and Powell's relationship is also based on emotional intimacy, humor, and respect.

While passion is important at the altar, the quality of a couple's friendship predicts stability and overall well-being within the relationship. A 2017 paper in the Journal of Happiness Studies revealed that the already significant well-being benefits of marriage doubled when a couple had a relationship with a solid foundation of friendship. Similarly, a 2012 study revealed that romantic relationships based on friendship were less likely to end in divorce.

Bindi Irwin was probably always destined for an unconventional life, considering that her father is the late, great Steve Irwin. Fortunately, she found a partner who can match her enthusiasm for conservation and wildlife. Not only did this shared passion provide the foundation for the bond between Bindi and husband Chandler Powell, but it also means he's uniquely suited to rolling with the twists of her unique life — like a giraffe popping in for the wedding ceremony. "I think it was so funny when we were getting all of our wedding pictures, so the one thing photo-bombing every picture was our giant giraffe, Forest," Bindi told Fox News during an appearance with Powell. "He decided that he had to be in every single wedding photo."

While it isn't necessary to have totally overlapping interests with your partner, mutual hobbies and interests provide important common ground for couples. It can provide the basis for quality time, mutual respect, and shared fun. In fact, roughly two-thirds of married couples believed common interests had contributed to the health of their relationships, according to Pew Research.

Chandler Powell and Bindi Irwin met when they were just teenagers. In 2013, Powell was an American visiting the Australian Zoo, and Irwin gave him a tour. Their chemistry was immediate. Considering that Irwin is such a natural beauty, it's hardly surprising that Powell made an effort to stay in touch. "He tracked me down through the zoo and was like, 'If she doesn't want to stay in contact, that's totally fine, but here's my email,'" Irwin told Us Weekly [via Daily Mail]. Initially, their communication was intercontinental. "We stayed in touch and became great friends. I can't really say when it turned into more. It just evolved over time and bloomed into this wonderful thing."

Though plenty of teenage romances are nothing more than a flash in the pan, Irwin and Powell have demonstrated serious relationship longevity. By the time they tied the knot in 2020, they had allowed their connection to grow for nearly twenty years. High school love becomes something more enduring when sweethearts are able to deepen their intimacy and effectively navigate their differences. It's a bright green flag that Irwin and Powell have been able to slowly transform their initial attraction into an enduring bond.

In 2023, after years of pain, Bindi Irwin was diagnosed with endometriosis, a condition that affects the uterus. Chandler Powell supported Irwin through those struggles, indicating that their relationship is close and strong. "He has held my hand when I've been at my lowest and never once wavered," Bindi told 9honey. "It's the best feeling to have a partner who you love so much and can rely on through all of the ups and downs of life."

A 2015 study revealed that seriously ill women were more likely to be abandoned by their partners. But Powell stayed by Irwin's side, even as her endometriosis severely impacted her mobility and quality of life. This suggests that Powell is a supportive partner and that their relationship has proven to be capable of weathering significant challenges. In fact, Powell has become outspoken about endometriosis alongside Irwin and publicly celebrated her recovery. "Seeing how you pushed through the pain to take care of our family and continue our conservation work while being absolutely riddled with endometriosis is something that will inspire me forever," he wrote in an Instagram caption. "The greatest gift of all is knowing that you're out the other side of surgery totally free of endometriosis."

In addition to his tight bond with Bindi Irwin, Chandler Powell has built close relationships with her family members, especially her brother, Robert Irwin. Together, Bindi and Powell turned out to support Robert when he appeared on "Dancing With the Stars." It's clear that the fondness is mutual — and has been for a long time. Back in 2015, Bindi told Us Weekly that her brother loves Powell. "My brother approves," she said [via Daily Mail]. "I don't know who loves him more — me or Robert."

When husbands are close with their wives' families, it's a great predictor of relationship success, according to one 2012 study. "These ties connect the husband to the wife," lead researcher Terry Orbuch told Advisory Board. "They say, 'Your family relationships are important to me because you are important to me. I want to feel closer to them because it makes me feel closer to you.'" Powell's willingness to embrace the people central in Bindi's life — in addition to her mission — suggests that he is deeply invested in her, which bodes well for their relationship's longevity.