Heartless trolls have criticised Bindi Irwin and Chandler Powell for getting married amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The couple rushed down the aisle on Wednesday, just hours after Prime Minister Scott Morrison enforced restrictions on weddings with more than five people in attendance.
Bindi, 21, who is the daughter of the late Steve Irwin, and her wakeboarder husband, 23, sensibly chose not to have any guests present – but they were still criticised on Twitter for going ahead with the ceremony.
Criticism: Bindi Irwin and Chandler Powell have been unfairly criticised for marrying before the COVID-19 wedding shutdown – even though they didn’t invite any guests to the ceremony
The majority of trolls seemingly missed the point by accusing Bindi and Chandler of trying to ‘beat the ban’ by having a big wedding – even though they didn’t.
One troll took aim at the couple after aerial footage emerged of a group of people huddling underneath umbrellas before the ceremony at Australia Zoo.
‘How’s that social distancing working for you? Nice umbrella cluster,’ they wrote.
Precautions: The couple sensibly chose not to have any guests present, but they were still criticised on Twitter for going ahead with the wedding
However, plenty of people defended Bindi and Chandler’s decision to fast-track their wedding.
One supporter tweeted: ‘Y’all coming for Bindi Irwin who had NO guests at her wedding and got married on site at the zoo where she lives (!) are so nasty.’
Another wrote: ‘If any of you speak ill of Bindi Irwin for having her wedding despite the pandemic, it’s ON SITE. They didn’t have any guests and it was at the zoo where they basically live.’
Criticism: One troll took aim at the couple after aerial footage emerged of a group of people huddling underneath umbrellas before the ceremony at Australia Zoo
‘How’s that social distancing working for you? Nice umbrella cluster,’ they wrote
Bindi’s wedding party consisted of her mother Terri, 55, and brother Robert, 16, who walked her down the aisle.
Terri’s close confidant, U.S.-based author Steve Maraboli, is believed to have officiated the ceremony.
On Thursday, Bindi confirmed she and Chandler had chosen not to have any guests in order to ‘keep everyone safe’ amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Support: Plenty of people defended Bindi and Chandler’s decision to fast-track their wedding
‘We’ve planned this beautiful day for nearly a year and had to change everything, as we didn’t have guests at our wedding,’ she wrote on Instagram.
‘This was a very difficult decision but important to keep everyone safe.’
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison enforced tough restrictions on weddings as the number of COVID-19 cases in Australia continues to rise.
Just the five of us! Bindi’s wedding party consisted of her mother Terri (second from left) and brother Robert (left), who walked her down the aisle. Terri’s close confidant, U.S.-based author Steve Maraboli, is believed to have officiated the ceremony
‘Large gatherings for weddings, sadly, won’t be possible under these new arrangements,’ he said.
‘Sadly, also, and I know this will be very difficult, funerals to no more than 10 persons observing the rules around the four-square-metre rule and the social distancing practices.
‘This is not an easy decision. Where we have already found, and Dr Murphy [Australia’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Brendan Murphy] can speak to this, some of the events that have been some of the major transmitting events, it has been exactly these types of events, particularly weddings.
‘And that is why, regretfully, we have to be able to put these arrangements in place.’
As of Thursday morning, there are 2,675 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Australia, including 11 deaths.
Pandemic: As of Thursday morning, there are 2,675 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Australia, including 11 deaths
