AceShowbiz -

Bindi Irwin has broken her silence on rumors that her mom Terri, 52, is secretly dating longtime family friend Russell Crowe, 53. Weighing in on the alleged romance, Bindi notes that her mom and the Oscar-winning actor "aren't actually in love."

"There's a lot of crazy rumors," the "Dancing with the Stars" season 21 winner said with a laugh on E!'s Daily Pop on Thursday, May 11. "You know we do love Russell, but Mum and Russell aren't actually in love!" she explained.

"My dad is still very much mum's soul mate," Bindi said, referring to her late father Steve Irwin, "The Crocodile Hunter" star who unexpectedly died after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming a documentary entitled "Ocean's Deadliest" back in 2006.

"I think that no matter what, Mum always says that they'll always be married," Bindi continued. "And to her, Mum and Dad, they're always going to be together. So in this life and the next, they're a couple and a team. So I think that's really important."

"Russell is a wonderful wildlife warrior," added the 18-year-old Australian beauty. "He was a dear friend of Dad's, now a dear friend of ours. He feels like family to us, but Mum and Russell? Just friends. For sure."

Last year, an Australian magazine alleged that Terri and Russell were set to go public with their secret relationship. But reps for the pair later denied the alleged romance. In an August interview, Terri said she hadn't "been on a single date since Steve died," adding what they had together "was incredible."