EXCLUSIVE: Victoria Beckham is said to be “struggling” as the rumoured feud between her, David and their son Brooklyn rumbles on, with the family reportedly being torn apart
The Beckhams rumoured family feud is ongoing and with Victoria’s Netflix documentary upcoming, the tensions are rising
As the rumoured feud within the Beckham clan continues to rumble on, eldest son Brooklyn is thought to be feeling an “emotional burden” as he’s torn between his wife and family.
Speculation of tension between Victoria and David and their son and his wife was initially sparked by an incident over a wedding dress and, three years on, LA-based Brooklyn and Nicola Peltz have now reportedly cut contact altogether.
A source claims to New magazine that Victoria is struggling with the situation because 26-year-old Brooklyn is “always going to be her baby”.
”He’s her first-born and they’ve always had a wonderful relationship, she feels like Nicola has taken over and it’s really tough to deal with as a mother,” they said.
Brooklyn and his wife are in a rumoured feud with Brooklyn’s dad, David, and Victoria
“David is frustrated with Brooklyn’s behaviour and is telling Victoria it’s unacceptable, but she’s just upset to feel like she’s losing her first baby. She’s very family-oriented so it’s a worry that Brooklyn and Nicola will start their own family and Victoria won’t have contact with her first grandchild – it’s a devastating thought.”
But a friend of the couple exclusively told the Mirror: “Nicola and Brooklyn didn’t cut contact – if anything, David and Victoria seem to have wanted the distancing since Nicola has made plenty of positive gestures like wearing Victoria’s clothes over the years, but somehow she and Brooklyn get all the criticism in the relationship. It’s understandable that there would be some natural distancing after years and years of being on the receiving end of unnecessary attacks and untruths.”
Psychotherapist Kamalyn Kaur tells new that as the eldest of the four Beckham children, she believes Brooklyn’s choice of partner has a “ripple effect” on the whole family, and if it isn’t perceived as a good choice, could rupture the family unit.
“The eldest child often carries a very unique emotional burden within the family, and particularly those that are tightly bound into the family unit, or in a family that are publicly scrutinised in the way that the Beckhams or the royals are, for example,” she tells us.
“The role of the eldest, and most people can probably relate, comes with lots of unspoken expectations, and one of those is to lead by example. Whether that’s leading by example in their career, their social life or their relationship, it almost becomes a template for the younger siblings.
“So when that eldest child begins to separate, or they begin to have a bit of an identity of their own, which they will when they get older and they enter a relationship, it can create a ripple effect. Not just because they’re moving on but because they’re shifting the family dynamic. So in close families, especially those in the spotlight, it can feel like a rupture rather than a natural evolution.”
The speculation about a potential family fallout was low key until David’s recent 50th birthday bashes. While A-listers were out in force, Brooklyn and Nicola, 30, were absent. The drama seemed to spill over onto social media last week when youngest son Cruz posted what many saw as a direct clap back to an earlier post by Brooklyn.
Cruz Beckham took to social media to defend his parents Victoria and David Beckham, following a pointed remark from his older brother Brooklyn amid the ongoing family feud
The aspiring racing driver posted a video of himself and his wife on a motorcycle, and wrote in the caption: “My whole world x I will love you forever x I always choose you baby x you’re the most amazing person i know xx me and you forever baby.”
Many of his followers interpreted the post as a direct dig at his family – and laid the blame squarely at Nicola’s door, with one writing: “Real love doesn’t make you choose”, and another adding: “Any loving wife should never make her husband choose between her and her husband’s family
Shortly after the post, 20-year-old Cruz shared a family photograph from happier times – which included Brooklyn – to his own Instagram stories, accompanied by a message of support for his mum and dad.
“I love my family, I love you guys more than anything, mum & dad, you gave us life and cared for us no matter what” he wrote, “I cannot tell you how blessed we all are to have you in our lives x.”
According to psychotherapist Kamalyn, the responsibility to bring the family back together now lies firmly with Victoria and David. Comparing Brooklyn’s situation with that of Prince Harry, who is also somewhat estranged from his own family after what many people perceived as him “choosing” Meghan Markle over them, she says neither man is actually doing anything wrong.
“I don’t think they’re doing anything they shouldn’t be,” she explained. “Every woman, like Nicola and Meghan, wants to marry a man that prioritises her and doesn’t sit there with his mum. That’s basic. But because they’re in the spotlight and because there’s so much pressure for the family to present themselves in a certain way, instead of it being looked at as a natural evolution, it’s looked at as something that’s negative.”
Unless there’s been a verbal, physical or emotional altercation, she added, they need to focus on accepting Brooklyn’s choices and avoid criticising or judging, because that’s what “drives a child away”.
Brooklyn and Nicola skipped David’s 50th birthday bash
“Brooklyn’s priorities might have changed, and that’s totally okay. Also, accept that as parents, they might need time and space to heal from the shift in dynamic. And also, accept that they might need to re-evaluate their expectations of Brooklyn now, and try to establish a new normal.”
Given Cruz and Brooklyn’s social media posts, they need to be mindful of not letting their dramas poison the relations between their kids as siblings, Kamalyn believes.
“As a parent, it’s still your job to protect siblings from anything you’re feeling, especially any hostility. You don’t ever want your child to feel like they have to choose between a sibling and a parent.”