A new explosive book about the rift between Brooklyn and his parents David and Victoria explores what really went wrong.
Although there had been rumours of a rift between Brooklyn Beckham and his parents David and Victoria Beckham, it still came as a huge shock to many when in January this year he posted a statement to his Instragram account saying: “I have been controlled by my parents for most of my life. I grew up with overwhelming anxiety. For the first time in my life, since stepping away from my family, that anxiety has disappeared. I wake up every morning grateful for the life I chose and have found peace and relief. My wife and I do not want a life shaped by image, press, or manipulation.”
In a new book Brand Beckham: The Fame. The Feuds. The Fallout, journalist Alison Boshoff looks at how things went so wrong between the two generations of Beckhams. Boshoff believes the difficulties began when Brooklyn met his now-wife, Nicola Peltz, in 2019.
“As youngsters, most of the children had no public profile, unlike the Beckham brood, and Nelson and Claudia Peltz maintain no social media accounts,” reports Boshoff. “The contrast with the Beckhams, and the public- facing roles that they have helped their young teenagers take on – and arguably pushed them into – is striking.”
Boshoff believes that the time Brooklyn spent with Nicola’s gfamily during several lockdowms had a big impact on him. “By this time, thanks to Nicola and her family, who Brooklyn was living with, his eyes were being opened to a world beyond Brand Beckham. Nicola’s father, Nelson, was ready to help him with advice about food, and had expertise in the field, being a billionaire investor in brands like Wendy’s and Heinz. Brooklyn’s career as a chef arguably marked the start of his bid for independence from his family.”
“My mum hijacked my first dance with my wife”
By the time Brooklyn and Nicola married in April 22, the relationship between the couple and his parents had grown icy and they hadn’t spoken to each in three months. There had been an earlier dispute about whether Victoria Beckham would make Nicola’s dress, with both sides disagreeing on how much notice Victoria had given the bride that her atelier couldn’t provide the service.
There was too, of course, the rather strange allegatons about Victoria dancing “innapropriately” with her son during the wedding. Boshoff reveals that Victoria hadn’t drunk at the wedding – partly due to the tensions with Brooklyn.
“One of the few who have seen the footage that was captured on the night by a cameraman describes the ‘close’ dance as ‘honestly, very weird’, and adds: ‘It is uncomfortable to watch,’” reports Boshoff. “However, two other wedding guests, both friends of the Beckhams, insist that they saw nothing untoward. And Gordon Ramsay – no stranger to an awkward wedding – said that he saw nothing ‘salacious’ or ‘inappropriate’ either.”
‘My family values public promotion and endorsements above all else’
One of the most shocking elements of Brooklyn’s statement was his accusation that ‘Brand Beckham’ came first and that “My family values public promotion and endorsements above all else.” What is clear, says Boshoff, is that “David and Victoria have enormous sway over the careers of their children.” An example of a shoot Brooklyn did when he was just 15 follows.
“Did he enjoy the attention? It seems not. Brooklyn later said he had such severe anxiety before the shoot that he became physically ill – as witnessed by Victoria. ‘I was very nervous,’ he admitted to Wonderland in April 2017. ‘I was being sick, I was with my mum, but it went really well.’”
Boshoff speaks to psychologist Emma Kenny (who has never treated Brooklyn) who says: “People felt happy to criticise Brooklyn because he only had this lifestyle because of his parents, but there is another side to it. People feel free to hate those who are wealthy and fortunate. But what about that child? He has been given an opportunity to do something by his parents and then people laugh. His feeling may be that they have been happy to put him on stage even though he was then ripped down. His parents think that they are doing it because they love him, like those parents who used to put their kids on X Factor even though they can’t sing a note.”
Hope for reconciliation
After the statement was initially posted, the Beckhams responded with silence. It wasn’t until April 2026 in an interview to promote her fashion label’s collection at The Gap to the Wall Street Journal that Victoria commented, saying “I think that we’ve always – we love our children so much. We’ve always tried to be the best parents that we can be. And you know, we’ve been in the public eye for more than thirty years right now and all we’ve ever tried to do is protect our children and love our children.”
According to Boshoff, those close to David and Victoria believe a reconcilation is possible but “Friends of the Peltz Beckhams are more circumspect about whether reconciliation is really possible – even though Brooklyn feels the pain of separation keenly. Despite their once close relationship, he is no longer even in touch with little sister Harper, concerned that speaking with him puts her in a difficult position with their parents. A friend says: ‘Nicola says that she will never stop Brooklyn from having a relationship with his parents and that if he wants to go to London to see them, she will never stop him. But she is over it now. It doesn’t land in the same way with her. Brooklyn is so sad about it, still.”