Robert Irwin’s Struggle for Independence: ‘Terri’s Meddling is Too Much’

He’s a celebrity — so what’s his mom doing here? Robert Irwin recently posted a jokey promo for his upcoming gig on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! only to reveal at the end that his mom, Terri Irwin, was along for the ride. Now sources tell Star that the widow of famed conservationist Steve Irwin can’t seem to let go of her 21-year-old son.

“Terri suffocates Robert, and the feeling is, she’s got to ease up,” says an insider. “She can’t seem to stay out of his life.”

The 60-year-old, who has run the Australia Zoo since her husband’s 2006 death, reportedly even got between her son and his girlfriend, Charlotte Briggs! But the insider says it’s not all about keeping her boy under her wing. Terri is also looking out for the family business.

“The strength of the Irwin brand is all they have,” explains the insider. “If Robert moves out, the worry is it will set off a domino effect.” Especially since his sister, Bindi, is now married to Chandler Powell and a mom of one. “Terri needs them to all muck in and stay together,” adds the source. “But Robert’s gotten tired of his mother’s meddling and wants his own life. He’s got his own ambitions.”