David Beckham and his son Brooklyn's relationship has been pushed to breaking point, with the 26-year-old skipping his father's 50th birthday celebrations earlier this month
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David Beckham and his son Brooklyn
David Beckham and his son Brooklyn aren't on the best of terms
(Image: (Image: Getty))
Once hailed as the epitome of unity and stardom, the Beckham household is now facing a very public family fallout that has left fans taken aback. Central to the turmoil is the deteriorating relationship between David Beckham and his oldest son, Brooklyn Beckham.
Brooklyn's noticeable no-show at David's extravagant 50th birthday festivities earlier this month, combined with persistent family discord, has shone a harsh light on their fractured bond. To grasp how things got to this point, it's worth looking back to a critical turning point: when Brooklyn chose to walk away from football.
This was an emotional moment that deeply impacted David and exposed the complicated layers of their bond.
In 2014, Brooklyn, then just 15, decided to step away from football, even though he was in Arsenal's youth academy at the time. David, an international sporting icon and Manchester United legend, had long envisioned his son following in his footsteps.
But Brooklyn, now 26, decided to carve out an entirely different identity for himself – pursuing photography, fashion, and entrepreneurship. In a 2015 interview with ABC, David claimed that it "broke his heart" to discover Brooklyn had been weighed down by the pressure of his famous surname.
"One of my boys turned around to me the other day and said, 'Daddy, I'm not sure I want to play football all the time,'" David said. "It broke my heart a little bit. He said, 'Every time I step on to the field, I know people are saying, 'This is David Beckham's son,' and if I am not as good as you, then it is not good enough.'"
Speaking to Variety in 2022, Brooklyn admitted that while quitting football made him "sad," his father ultimately supported him. "My dad wasn't sad, because he was like, 'I just want you to be happy,'" Brooklyn said. "But of course, I was sad. It was my whole life since I was literally two."
This moment highlighted David's true nature – not as a controlling parent demanding his child fulfil inherited dreams, but as someone genuinely trying to respect Brooklyn's individuality.
David Beckham and Brooklyn playing football
Brooklyn Beckham was once a promising footballer, but ended up following a different career path
Brooklyn later opened up about his struggles with anxiety and the immense burden of expectations. He said he "never really enjoyed" the game, in part due to harsh scrutiny from coaches who expected him to emulate his dad's legendary career.
That immense pressure turned football from a passion into a source of distress. Though it hurt, David acknowledged his son's right to choose a different path. But what once appeared as mutual respect may have slowly evolved into emotional estrangement.
Now, in 2025, the Beckham family is mired in an ongoing feud. Brooklyn and Nicola Peltz skipped all of David's milestone birthday events – including an elegant Miami soiree, a countryside gathering in the Cotswolds, and a glitzy affair at the Met Gala in London.
Insiders say Brooklyn avoided the celebrations due to underlying tensions linked to Nicola, who some insiders blame for worsening the family fallout. One report claims Brooklyn asked for a separate celebration without Romeo's partner, Kim Turnbull, with whom Brooklyn reportedly shares a complicated history.
Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz
Brooklyn has had a complicated relationship with his family ever since marrying Nicola Peltz
David declined, emphasising the importance of celebrating as a full family. That refusal apparently hurt Brooklyn, who chose to forgo the events entirely – a decision that has left both David and Victoria hurt.
Tensions have been building since Brooklyn and Nicola's 2022 wedding, which was reportedly marred by disagreements and miscommunications with Victoria. While the two sides made brief strides toward healing, that progress appears to have reversed.
Brooklyn's continued absence from major family events, including Victoria's 51st birthday in April, and the silence around his wedding anniversary have only deepened public suspicions of estrangement.
David appeared to extend an olive branch with a birthday post captioned: "You were missed @brooklynbeckham". But Brooklyn's decision to prioritise Nicola and sidestep family moments has seemingly intensified the emotional distance, leaving the family torn and adrift.
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