The Beckham family feud took more sensational turns yesterday as Brooklyn’s explosive tirade set off a series of stunning claims and counter-claims.
Perhaps the most incendiary accusation made by the eldest son of former England captain Sir David and ex-Spice Girl Lady Beckham was his claim that his superstar parents had tried to ‘bribe’ him into signing away the rights to his own name.
Among six stinging posts to Instagram on Monday night, the 26-year-old wannabe photographer and food influencer accused them of trying to pressure him into a deal, adding that when he refused, they haven’t ‘treated him the same since’.
Sources told the Daily Mail that Victoria has been left ‘devastated’ as the gulf that has publicly existed between mother and son widened into a seemingly unbridgeable chasm.
Insiders close to the family protest there was no ‘bribe’ or pressure, insisting the move – in the lead up to his 2022 Florida wedding to billionaire’s daughter Nicola Peltz – was to protect Brooklyn amid one of Sir David’s many commercial deals.
In other developments yesterday:
- It was said that Brooklyn’s posts came as he grew sick of a series of briefings over Christmas and thought ‘screw this’, detonating his relationship with his family;
- There was a warning ‘there is so much more that Brooklyn can say if he wants to’;
- Sources hit back, describing his claims that Lady Beckham danced ‘inappropriately’ with him after ‘hijacking’ his first dance as ‘total nonsense’;
- But wedding guest Stavros Agapiou backed up Brooklyn, claiming in a hastily deleted Instagram post: ‘I was there and she did, he’s telling the truth’ – though it was soon replaced with the simple message: ‘Good on him for finally speaking out!’;
- And the Beckhams now consider themselves ‘the Fab Five’, with birthday invitations no longer even extended to Brooklyn and Nicola.
The Beckham family feud took more sensational turns yesterday as Brooklyn’s explosive tirade set off a series of stunning claims and counter-claims
Sir David, 50, was heckled yesterday about the feud as he faced the media at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland
The Beckhams’ rights demand came, it was said, after Sir David signed up with a US brands firm – selling 55 per cent of DB Ventures to Authentic Brands Group for £200million – that would have meant his and Lady Beckham’s commercial partners would have some right over their surname.
In his surprise social media posts, Brooklyn claimed: ‘Weeks before our big day, my parents repeatedly pressured and attempted to bribe me into signing away the rights to my name, which would have affected me, my wife, and our future.
‘They were adamant on me signing before my wedding date because then the terms of the deal would be initiated. My holdout affected the payday, and they have never treated me the same since.’
But an insider hit back, saying: ‘The agreement that Brooklyn was asked to sign was to protect his rights because his parents have commercial partners who have some rights over the Beckham name, and so it ensures that the kids are carved out of that.’
Sources, however, also believe that Brooklyn was potentially ‘turned against’ signing the paperwork by those connected to Nicola, who some believe may have managed to persuade him it was not a good idea.
Meanwhile, Sir David, 50, was heckled yesterday as he faced the media at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
When asked about the feud, he declined to answer any direct questions but he later spoke, somewhat ironically, on the perils and virtues of children using social media.
In an interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box, he said that he has tried to ‘educate’ his own children about the dangers of social media apps while also showing them how they can work for ‘good’.
‘I’ve always spoken about social media and the power of social media for the good and for the bad,’ he said on stage.
Sources hit back, describing Brooklyn’s claims that Lady Beckham danced ‘inappropriately’ with him after ‘hijacking’ his first dance as ‘total nonsense’
Brooklyn has been isolated from his family, including parents David and Victoria, brothers Romeo and Cruz, and sister Harper, for years, with the feud reaching fever pitch this week
He wrote: ‘I have been silent for years and made every effort to keep these matters private’
Brooklyn went on to address his wedding to Nicola, claiming there had been repeated attempts to ruin their relationship
Brooklyn claimed: ‘The night before our wedding, members of my family told me that Nicola was “not blood” and “not family”
‘My wife has been consistently disrespected by my family, no matter how hard we’ve tried to come together as one’, he continued
‘The narrative that my wife controls me is completely backwards. I have been controlled by my parents for most of my life’, he added
The former Manchester United star said he’d been able to use his ‘platform’ and his position as a Unicef ambassador to ‘make people aware of what’s going on around the world for children’.
He added: ‘I’ve tried to do the same with my children, to educate them.
‘They make mistakes. Children are allowed to make mistakes. That’s how they learn.’
Sir David also filmed a podcast with US popular science author Adam Grant, but emphatically refused to answer any questions relating to Brooklyn.
As the drama gripped the nation, even Downing Street waded in, with a spokesman for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer offering his opinion.
They said it was a private matter for the family, but added: ‘The Prime Minister has always been clear that diplomacy is very important.’
A number of celebrities including Lily Allen, presenter Vogue Williams, Piers Morgan and comic Katherine Ryan also gave their opinions on social media, with it becoming a hot topic of conversation across all walks of life.
