Brooklyn Beckham has issued a six-page statement about his parents, and one decision the 26-year-old made long ago offers insight into his fractured relationship with his father
Brooklyn Beckham and David Beckham attend the "Our Planet" global premiere at Natural History Museum
Brooklyn Beckham's relationship with father David is nowhere near as close as it once was(Image: Dave J Hogan, Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
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Brooklyn Beckham broke his silence on the long-rumoured rift with his parents, David and Victoria, in a scathing six-page statement. And one decision the 26-year-old took long ago provides insight into his strained relationship with his father in particular.
Rumours had been growing that Brooklyn and wife Nicola Peltz had grown apart from the high-profile family after their 2022 wedding. The pair were absent from Victoria's 50th birthday bash and conspicuously missing when Manchester United and England legend David received his knighthood.
The retired footballer's eldest son publicly addressed the matter for the first time on Monday, posting a lengthy and forceful statement packed with serious claims. Brooklyn asserts that his parents controlled significant portions of his life, also alleging his wedding was "hijacked" by his mother.
Taking to social media, he categorically wrote: "I do not want to reconcile with my family." Brooklyn opted against following in his father's footballing footsteps as a youngster, and David's response speaks volumes about the close bond they once shared.
At 15, Brooklyn decided he wouldn't follow his father's path into professional football. Having been part of Arsenal's youth academy, he stepped away from the game in 2014.
Brooklyn has since pursued a career in modelling and photography having caused his father heartache when he decided to step away from football. In a 2015 interview, Beckham Sr shared his son's reasons for leaving the sport.
Harper Beckham, David Beckham, Victoria Beckham, Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz attend the Netflix 'Beckham' UK Premiere at The Curzon Mayfair
A rift in the family has emerged between the Beckhams and son Brooklyn, who went public with he criticism on Monday(Image: Getty)
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"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,'" he told ABC. "It broke my heart a little bit. He said, 'Every time I went 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.'"
In a 2022 interview with Variety, Brooklyn echoed those same sentiments. And while he acknowledged he felt "sad" about leaving football, his father was supportive of his decision.
"My dad wasn't sad, because he was like, 'I just want you to be happy,'" he said at the time. "But of course, I was sad. It was my whole life since I was literally two."
The father-son bond seems to have become even more strained following Brooklyn's recent explosive statements. And the reveal painted a very different picture of his family life away from the cameras.
David Beckham, Brooklyn Beckham, Victoria Beckham and Kate Moss attend the Dior Homme Menswear Fall/Winter 2020-2021 show as part of Paris Fashion Week
Brooklyn's allegations suggested his parents "tried endlessly" to ruin his relationship with wife Nicola(Image: Dave Benett, Dave Benett/Getty Images)
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Among various allegations, Brooklyn made particular accusations about how his life had been "controlled" at every turn: "For my entire life, my parents have controlled narratives in the press about our family. The performative social media posts, family events and inauthentic relationships have been a fixture of the life I was born into.
"Recently, I have seen with my own eyes the lengths that they'll go through to place countless lies in the media, mostly at the expense of innocent people, to preserve their own facade. But I believe the truth always comes out.
"My parents have been trying endlessly to ruin my relationship since before my wedding, and it hasn't stopped. 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 children.
"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."