Bindi Irwin’s Absence At Annual Family Gala Prompts Mom & Brother To Share Serious Health Update

May 11, 2026 by apost team

Every year, the Steve Irwin Gala brings together conservationists, supporters, and members of the Irwin family to celebrate the late Steve Irwin’s legacy and raise funds for their Wildlife Warriors charity. The third annual event was held on May 2, 2026, at the Bellagio Resort and Casino in Las Vegas — and for the first time, one key member of the family was missing from the stage.

Bindi Irwin, born July 24, 1998, was not there. In her place were her mother, Terri Irwin, born July 20, 1964, and her brother, Robert Irwin, born Dec. 1, 2003, who attended in her absence and were quick to explain why. Travel, they said, was simply too much for Bindi right now.

That explanation pointed to a health battle Bindi has been fighting — largely in private — for more than a decade. Endometriosis is a chronic condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside it, causing pain, inflammation, and in many cases, significant disruption to daily life. For Bindi, the journey to diagnosis was long and deeply painful in every sense. Doctor after doctor told her there was nothing wrong. She spent 10 years undiagnosed, suffering through symptoms she was repeatedly told were simply “part of being a woman.”

In March 2026, during Endometriosis Awareness Month, Bindi broke her silence in full — posting photos from a hospital bed on Instagram and sharing words that resonated with millions of women around the world.

“I’ve felt indescribable, inescapable pain,” she wrote. “I spent 10 years being undiagnosed. As a teenager and young woman, I felt weak and deeply insecure. I was trapped in my own body,” she wrote.

At the Las Vegas gala, her family had an update — and it was one fans had been hoping to hear.

Standing at the event without Bindi for the first time, Terri did not hesitate when asked how her daughter was doing.

“Bindi is doing so much better now,” she told E! News in a joint interview with Robert.

“So, things like a lot of travel are a bit challenging for her at the moment and so she’ll be here next year to celebrate this wonderful night,” she added.

She said Bindi was there “in spirit” and had already returned to her conservation work at Australia Zoo in Queensland. “This year she’s just staying a little close to home,” Terri explained.

“So, ironically, it’s less taxing for her to be home feeding crocodiles.”

Robert backed up the sentiment.

“Australia Zoo — there’s 500 in our team, 500,000 acres of conservation land that we have. Someone has got to hold down the fort, so Bindi’s doing a great job of that,” he said.

The road to this point has been anything but easy. Over the past three years, Bindi has had 50 endometriosis lesions removed from her body. She also had a chocolate cyst removed, underwent an appendectomy, and had a hernia repair — all connected to the condition and its complications. In August 2025, she posted on Instagram:

“I can FINALLY say that I’m feeling better. I can function in everyday life without wanting to throw up or pass out from the pain.”

Bindi shares 5-year-old daughter Grace Warrior with husband Chandler Powell and has been open about the toll the illness took on her as a young mother.

“No one deserves to suffer in silence,” she wrote in March 2026, adding, “If you're in pain, my heart breaks for you. I believe you. Please find answers. And don’t give up on yourself.”

apost.com

Are you a fan of Bindi Irwin and her family? Do you think her openness about endometriosis is helping other women feel less alone? Let us know, and then pass this on to your family, friends, and other Irwin family fans out there!