As Victoria Beckham danced the night away (with the occasional help of her crutches) in a frilled, mint green dress at Oswald’s to celebrate turning 50, she was surrounded by friends from all stages of her life – but one exclusive group looks a little different these days.
David and Victoria’s LA Galaxy posse, the exclusive group of Hollywood stars, plus a few famous faces from the UK, were thick as thieves during the noughties after the world’s most famous couple moved across the pond to follow David’s footballing career.
The Beckhams took to Hollywood like ducks to water, with mother-of-four Victoria recently revealing LA was ‘a great place to live’ and that she ‘let go of a lot of pain’ after making the move stateside with the whole family.
Perhaps one of the factors in making their move easier was the fact that they soon made an exclusive group of friends in Hollywood, with whom they were often spotted on red carpets at exclusive events – and one even became a godmother to little Harper Seven.
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But as time passes, friendship groups change – and the Beckhams’ exclusive LA Galaxy gang, which once featured power couples including J-Lo and Marc Anthony and Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, is no exception – as notable faces were absent from Posh Spice’s 50th birthday bash.
Here, FEMAIL takes a look at who is in and who is out of the Beckhams’ exclusive friendship group – and what their former friends are up to instead…
Tom Cruise – IN
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Tom Cruise was reportedly the star of the dancefloor at Victoria’s 50th birthday bash
Many fans may have been surprised to see the Mission Impossible star arriving at the Beckhams’ party following reports last year that there had been a rift between the friends.
Nonetheless Cruise, 61, beamed as he stepped out of the car and headed into Oswald’s on Saturday evening, where he later posed for a photo with the birthday girl herself.
Cruise’s friendship with the Beckhams dates back to their welcome party in LA in 2007, which he himself organised – and he ensured Hollywood royalty came out in their droves to make sure the couple felt at home.
Stars including Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, Jim Carrey and Brooke Shields were among the guests at the star-studded bash which was the most exclusive party in town.
David Beckham recently reminisced on the party, held at the Museum of Contemporary Art in LA, in his Netflix documentary The Beckhams.
He said: ‘The funny thing was, I was friends with Tom Cruise. I remember Tom turning round and saying, ‘me and Will are gonna throw you a party.’ I was like ‘Will?’ and he said ‘Will Smith‘.
Recalling the bash, David’s close friend David Gardner said: ‘It was like being in Madame Tussauds, everywhere you looked there was a famous person.’
He added: ‘The next minute the piano starts going and Stevie Wonder startings singing him happy birthday. And I was like ‘f**k this, he’s gone, we’ve lost him.”
Over the years, Tom Cruise and his then-wife Katie accompanied the Beckhams to several exclusive events – and they also attended several of David’s matches.
And although the Beckhams are now based all around the world, Tom’s relationship with the couple has remained rock solid.
Not only was he one of the exclusive guests at Victoria’s party – he was reportedly the biggest star of the dancefloor.
Katie Holmes – OUT
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Katie Holmes was among the huge and exclusive welcome group brought together when the Beckhams arrived in LA in 2007
It appears Tom Cruise ‘kept’ the Beckhams in his divorce settlement with Katie Holmes, as he has maintained a friendship with the couple after the split, whereas Katie hasn’t been seen since with neither David nor Victoria.
Katie, Tom, David and Victoria were once the best of friends and were often spotted ‘double dating’ on the red carpet at exclusive events around Hollywood.
Katie and Victoria appeared to have a particular bond and were spotted walking hand-in-hand at the couple’s welcome party.
Now, however, it seems the Beckhams are less close to Katie, who didn’t attend Posh Spice’s 50th birthday bash.
Katie, who is now based in New York City, had another milestone to celebrate this weekend – her daughter Suri’s 18th birthday.
Since her split with Tom, Katie has gone her own way in New York and raised Suri largely away from the spotlight.
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Although Victoria doesn’t see as much of Katie as she once did, the star appears to be rekindling her friendship with the Dawson’s Creek actress, who came out to support her in LA in February for the launch of her watch line
Last year a source told Dailymail.com that Tom had ‘no part’ in his daughter’s life and that Katie was a ‘protective’ mother to her daughter, who is said to want to pursue a career in fashion.
Although Victoria and Katie no longer appear to be BFFs, they did share a sweet moment together in New York in February.
They were spotted together at a launch for Victoria’s watch collection in collaboration with Breitling.
At the time a source told heat magazine: ‘When Katie split from Tom, the friendship just sort of petered out. David made it clear that he was still going to remain close to Tom, so Vic had to, as well. But she did feel guilty, as she knows Katie went through a lot during that divorce.’
So although Katie is no longer a part of the exclusive friendship group, it appears her ties to Victoria are still strong.
Eva Longoria – IN
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Victoria and David posted with Eva and her husband José Bastón
Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria is perhaps Victoria Beckham’s closest friend in Hollywood.
The Texan actress, 49, posted a sweet photo in tribute to the Spice Girl on Instagram to celebrate her 50th birthday in which the pair looked perfect in monochrome dresses.
She wrote: ‘I’m so lucky to have you in my life. Your friendship, loyalty, beauty and humor is endless! I wish everyone had a best friend like you. I wish you all the happiness in the world for you today and always! Love you.’
Eva’s friendship with David and Victoria also dates back to their move to LA, where they attended the same glitzy events together. At the time, Eva was married to French-American basketball player Tony Parker, and would often attend his games.
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Eva, 49, was one of the guests of honour at the party, having enjoyed a close friendship with Victoria for more than a decade
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On Victoria’s birthday last week Eva posted a snap of the pair together on Instagram and wished her best friend a great day
She and freshly-landed Victoria bonded over their love of fashion and similar sense of humour.
Early into their friendship, Eva travelled to London to support Victoria as the budding designer opened her first eponymous store in 2008.
That same year, she was also a supportive presence during The Return of Spice Girls World Tour, even travelling to Manchester to be by her friend’s side behind-the-scenes.
Victoria and Eva’s enduring friendship saw them sticking together through the good times and the bad.
A few years later, when Eva’s four-years-long marriage to Tony crumbled in 2011, Victoria was Eva’s shoulder to cry on.
Victoria was also there for her when Eva broke up with her boyfriend Ernesto Arguello two years later.
In 2014, Eva, who also said Victoria was ‘the most beautiful woman inside and out,’ said the former Spice Girls was one of her favourite people and her funniest friend.
‘She’s probably my funniest friend. She has so many jokes,’ she told Grazia.
The friendship has endured over many years and in 2019 when Harper Seven, the Beckhams’ only daughter, was baptised, Eva was named her godmother.
She was also a guest at Brooklyn and Nicola’s $3 million wedding in 2022.
Tony Parker – OUT
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Tony Parker was married to Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria from 2007-2010, during which time he was often spotted out with the Beckhams (pictured with Marc Jacobs, right)
As Eva Longoria worked red carpets with her exclusive friendship group in the noughties, she was often accompanied by her basketball player husband, Tony Parker.
Parker was often present in snaps with the Beckhams as they naturally became friends with the husband of their own BFF.
The couple married in 2007 but Eva filed for divorce in 2010 citing irreconcilable differences.
At the time, infidelity rumours circulated, alleging Tony had been unfaithful with the ex-wife of his teammate Brent Barry, Erin.
However Longoria never commented on the claims and instead suggested the pair did not want to part in anger.
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David Beckham looked in good spirits as he hung out with Tony Parker at the NBA game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Brooklyn Nets in Paris on Thursday
She told Piers Morgan: ‘So many people want me to hate him and destroy him, but I don’t want to. I want him to be happy. He’s not a bad person.
‘I do believe in forgiving and forgetting. There was a reason we were together. I just want to hold on to the good times.’
With the split, Tony stopped appearing with the Beckhams on the red carpet – however he has maintained a friendship with David over the years.
David is still a huge basketball fan and is often spotted at NBA games around the world.
As recently as January, he was pictured in a friendly embrace with Parker as they watched a basketball match together in Paris.
Marc Anthony – IN
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Marc Anthony and his wife Nadia Ferreira attended Victoria Beckham’s 50th birthday bash this weekend
David Beckham’s friendship with Marc Anthony is so close, the footballer has even referred to the singer as his ‘brother’.
Similarly to Eva Longoria, Marc is godfather to one of the Beckham children, Cruz, and has been close to the family for several years.
Last year, as the singer celebrated his own 50th birthday, David posted a gushing tribute to his close pal on Instagram and wrote: ‘Once a brother always a brother. Happy Birthday man, Love Ya.’
It was accompanied by another post from Victoria of the pair walking their dogs together in Manchester years back.
Earlier that month, David also rocked up to a ceremony in which Anthony was gifted a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in a surprise appearance to support his close pal.
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Proud bestie: The global athletic superstar David Beckham watched proudly as Marc accepted his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; seen Thursday
Speaking to the crowd, David said: ‘I learned salsa for one man only — but please don’t tell my wife.’
He added: ‘I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this recognition.’
Marc Anthony first became associated with the Beckhams when David was playing for Real Madrid, before the family’s move to LA.
However it was in the US that their friendship blossomed, and, in David’s words, Marc became like ‘family’.
The singer has remained incredibly close to the Beckhams over the years, and last year Victoria even designed the bridesmaids dresses for his wedding to model Nadia Ferreira.
Jennifer Lopez – OUT
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Jennifer Lopez, once a close friend of Victoria Beckham, revealed in 2012 she had not spoken to the Beckhams for some time following her 2010 split from Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony’s 10-year marriage to Jennifer Lopez saw the couple share lots of friends – including the Beckhams.
J Lo and Anthony tied the knot in 2004 in a secret ceremony after dating for six months, before their split in 2014.
During the couple’s time together in which they welcomed twins, J Lo became close friends with Victoria Beckham and the pair often hit the town together to attend exclusive events in LA.
However, J Lo revealed in 2012 that she and Victoria had fallen out of touch since the split from Anthony.
She told Metro: ‘I haven’t seen them (the Beckhams) in a while. They had little baby Harper.’
She added: ‘I wish them the best.’
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Jennifer Lopez, who was married to Marc Anthony from 2004-2014, is now married to Ben Affleck
As the Beckhams reminisced on their LA life in their Netflix documentary last year, J Lo, who is now married to Ben Affleck, did get a mention – but it wasn’t quite a glowing account of a close friendship.
Victoria recalled going into hospital where she was due to have a C-section to give birth to son Cruz – which David almost missed because he was supposed to do a photoshoot with Jennifer Lopez and Beyoncé.
The mother-of-four explained how she told David the good news before he said he was pre-booked.
She said: ‘What do you mean, a shoot?’
David replied: ‘Yeah, I’ve got to do a shoot with Jennifer Lopez and Beyoncé.’
Victoria said: ‘I was like, ‘Are you.. ‘Seriously, I’m about to burst, I’m on bed rest. Are you kidding me?
‘You’ve got a damn photoshoot with Jennifer Lopez who is gorgeous and not about to have a baby.’
While David was eventually at the birth at Madrid’s Hospital Ruber Internacional, Victoria said she was ‘p***** off’ when she saw a number of newspaper articles with him posed next to the two American singers.
Victoria said: ‘So I had my C section and I remember lying there, don’t feel at my most gorgeous, let’s just say, and I remember someone showing me the front page of the newspaper which was a gorgeous picture of David between Jennifer Lopez and Beyoncé and the headline was ‘What would Posh say?’
‘Let me tell you want Posh would say. Posh was p***ed off.’
Gordon and Tana Ramsay – IN
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Gordon and Tana were unsurprisingly among the guests at Victoria’s star-studded 50th birthday bash
Although not necessarily Hollywood royalty, the world’s most famous chef and his wife were a huge support to the Beckhams after their move to LA.
Gordon and Tana frequently hung out with the Beckhams in the US, after Gordon’s TV career took him stateside where he filmed series including Kitchen Nightmares and Hell’s Kitchen.
Perhaps it was the families’ expat status which drew them close to each other, as Tana and Victoria formed a very close bond and began spending time together.
David, Victoria and the children enjoyed weekend breaks in the sunshine with Gordon, Tana and their kids, and even spent Christmases together.
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The Ramsays, much like the Beckhams, were British exports to LA and became close with the couple because they had children of similar ages
With children of similar ages, the families often spent time together, and keen cook David is known to have learnt a few kitchen tricks from his Michelin-starred best pal.
Gordon has previously spoken out about the closeness between the two families and the children in particular.
Speaking before the birth of his fifth child Oscar, the Michelin-starred chef said: ‘Three girls and a boy, and three boys and a girl – you’d be amazed at the synergy. We’ve promised that no one dates anybody!’
The couple were also frequently spotted at David’s LA Galaxy matches in the noughties.
Given the closeness between the families, it’s perhaps no surprise Gordon and Tana, who now have six children, were some of the most cherished guests at Victoria’s 50th birthday bash.
