Brooklyn Peltz Beckham held nothing back on Monday, calling out his superstar parents in a seething social media rant.
He said he was left with “no choice but to speak for myself” about cutting off his mother and father, soccer legend Sir David Beckham and ex-Spice Girl Lady Victoria Beckham. The 26-year-old first-born child of the British power couple accused them of controlling the narrative about their family.
In a series of Instagram stories, Brooklyn addressed the rift that had been widely speculated of dividing the family since before he married American actress Nicola Peltz Beckham, 31, in 2022.
“I’m standing up for myself for the first time in my life,” he wrote.
The allegations may prove harmful to his parents’ carefully curated reputations, as his 50-year-old father dodged a reporter’s questions on Tuesday while attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
So what exactly is behind the breakdown? Let’s take a look at Brooklyn’s split with the House of Beckham … with the help of some carefully selected Spice Girls track titles.
Mama
Victoria (F.K.A. Posh Spice) and David Beckham have been fixtures in the tabloid press for decades now, even before their July 4, 1999 marriage.
They met when she was still a member of the Spice Girls, at the time the biggest girl group in the world, and he was a star player for Premier League’s Manchester United.
Victoria, who turned 51 last year, gave birth to Brooklyn on March 4, 1999.
He is the eldest of four children: Romeo, now 23, Cruz, 20, and 14-year-old Harper.
The family has always been in the spotlight — including Brooklyn, who has had aspirational careers as a footballer, like his father, as well as a model, photographer and chef/food influencer.
In 2022, he married actress Nicola Peltz, known for titles like Transformers: Age of Extinction and the TV series Bates Motel. She is the daughter of billionaire businessman Nelson Peltz and model Claudia Heffner.
Brooklyn appears to have confirmed rumours of a rift in the royal family of British popular culture since before his wedding.
He has pointed much — though certainly not all — of the blame at his mother.
2 Become 1
In his message, Brooklyn detailed claims of attacks and alleged attempts to isolate him and Nicola from the rest of the family.
He accused his parents of “trying endlessly to ruin my relationship since before my marriage.”
“And it hasn’t stopped,” he said.
He alleged that Victoria cancelled making her future daughter-in-law’s wedding dress at “the eleventh hour” and that she “hijacked” what was supposed to be the couple’s first dance as husband and wife.
He said his mother “danced very inappropriately on me” in front of 500 guests — and wedding singer Marc Anthony.
He said he “never felt more uncomfortable or humiliated in my entire life.”
Brooklyn said that in the weeks leading up to the wedding, his parents “repeatedly pressured” him to sign away any rights associated with his Beckham name. He also claimed Victoria called him “evil” for seating the couple’s grandmothers with them and their parents at adjacent tables.
Still, after the wedding, the couple remained in the spotlight with the family, showing up at events like a 2023 premiere for the Netflix documentary series Beckham — where resurfaced video footage purportedly illustrated tensions.
The Peltz Beckhams have also appeared on red carpets and the Met Gala on their own.
WATCH | Brooklyn and Nicola Peltz Beckham attend Beckham docuseries premiere:
The last time they were seen with the rest of the family was in September 2024 at a Victoria Beckham fashion show in Paris.
They were also due to celebrate David’s 50th birthday last May, but were notably absent.
Brooklyn said in his posting that the couple had travelled to London for the event, but that his father had refused to meet with him unless it was at “his big birthday party with a hundred guests and cameras at every corner.” When he did agree to see his son, Brooklyn said, “it was under the condition that Nicola wasn’t invited.”
Stop
Brooklyn accused his parents of weaponizing the press against him, controlling the narrative about themselves while planting “lies” about the young couple. He said that since he was born, they have been sharing “performative” posts of “family events and inauthentic relationships” on social media.
“Brand Beckham” was always the first priority, he said.
Guardian columnist Marina Hyde wrote Tuesday that Brooklyn “has been commodified since he was a [fetus].”
“The story of Victoria’s pregnancy was sold by his parents. When he was born, David and Victoria sold the first pictures of him,” Hyde wrote. “They sold their wedding, staying up till 3 a.m. on the night of that big day, deciding which pictures would be featured in OK!“
Wannabe
David seemingly referenced the turmoil and his desire to reconcile in an interview with CNBC’s financial program Squawk Box.
Speaking about children and the power of social media, he said he’s tried to “use his platform” to set an example and help educate children, including his own, about using social media for the “right reasons.”
But he said they “make mistakes.”
“Children are allowed to make mistakes. That’s how they learn,” he said. “That’s what I try to teach my kids, but, you know, you have to sometimes let them make those mistakes, as well.”
On his own social media, he shared a New Year’s photo carousel on Instagram looking back at the year and expressing gratitude to wife and children.
Neither Brooklyn nor Nicola were included in any of the photos. (He did include an old photo with his son on his Instagram story that day.)
WATCH | David Beckham discusses his kids and making mistakes on social media:
Goodbye
But mending fences doesn’t seem to be in Brooklyn’s future.
“I do not want to reconcile with my family,” he said in his Instagram story.
The “overwhelming anxiety” he had experienced throughout his life has “disappeared,” he said, now that he has stepped away from his family.
“I wake up every morning grateful for the life I chose, and have found peace and relief.”
