Which Beckham do you believe?

By now, almost everyone knows about the feud between the Beckhams. But what are the facts?

“I have been silent for years and made every effort to keep these matters private. Unfortunately, my parents and their team have continued to go to the press, leaving me with no choice but to speak for myself and tell the truth about only some of the lies that have been printed.”

This was the first of many statements posted on Brooklyn Beckham’s Instagram stories in early January. The statement outlined a range of issues with the family, with Brooklyn describing what he sees as cold and dismissive behaviour towards his relationship with American actor and model, Nicola Peltz.

Peltz is reportedly at the heart of the Beckham family disputes, with many speculating that the statements are not entirely true and quickly running to the defence of David and Victoria Beckham. However, as with most public family conflicts, there are always two sides to every story. While some remain sceptical, others have voiced support Brooklyn’s bravery in his decision to speak openly and voice his feelings towards a very difficult situation to the public, in hopes for change.

The dress

“My mum cancelled making Nicola’s dress in the eleventh hour despite how excited she was to wear her design, forcing her to urgently find a new dress”

Brooklyn Beckham

This claim has prompted many to revisit the Vogue article from June 2022, which outlined Nicola’s journey to wearing a Valentino Haute Couture creation. Vogue discussed how Nicola and her mother had made various trips to Valentino for fittings in Rome over a year-long period, where she had “planned to double down on Valentino’s iconic embellishment and embroidery for the dress” but then fell in love with the toile version of creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli’s sketches instead. This had many people wondering whether Nicola actually planned to have two different designers for her wedding dress: a Victoria Beckham piece and a Valentino creation, that she would later choose from. However, some have speculated that Victoria Beckham did not want to be a second option, due to the delay and miscommunication, which further stressed this rift between Peltz and the family.

The Beckham name

“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 … and have never treated me the same since”.

The name ‘Beckham’ carries global recognition and obviously has many connections – everyone knows who they are, whether that be through football, the Spice Girls, or a lover of Victoria Beckham’s fashion empire. Lifestyle Columnist Daria Chiuian explores Victoria’s earlier interest in high fashion in her article ‘Why I am dressing like the Beckham’s and why you should too’.

Therefore, it is no surprise that the Beckham name holds significant power in various industries and carries a certain reputation. Brooklyn’s claim suggests that signing away the rights to his name limited his ability to use ‘Beckham’ independently for future commercial ventures – something that he felt was unfair and upsetting, especially with what he experienced after signing these rights to his parents.

Nicola Peltz, not Beckham

“My family told me that Nicola was ‘not blood’ and ‘not family'”

Brooklyn Beckham

From the outside, the presentations of Nicola with the Beckham family have always been positive, with videos resurfacing of Victoria and Nicola dancing on a beach in the Bahamas during a 2023 family holiday. Therefore, this left many people confused about where this coldness or bitterness truly was in their relationship with Peltz. Nevertheless, this is not the first time that Peltz has been in a celebrity relationship and had conflicts with her partner’s family. It is reported that Peltz’s previous relationship with Anwar Hadid between 2017 and 2018 resulted in strained family dynamics, leaving many unsure of who is the cause of these family feuds or if the Beckhams are simply protective of their exclusive inner circle.

Victoria’s infamous inappropriate dancing

“I’ve never felt more uncomfortable or humiliated in my entire life.”

The most surprising comment of the statement was of Victoria Beckham’s “inappropriate” dancing on Brooklyn at his wedding, which brought ‘anxiety and embarrassment’ on his wedding day. The BBC later interviewed the DJ from the wedding, who gave his account of the “awkward dance” between the groom and his mother. It was reported that American singer and actor, Marc Anthony, had called “the most beautiful woman in the room, Victoria Beckham” to the stage for the first dance with Brooklyn Beckham.

According to Brooklyn, with this unexpected turn of events, Nicola Peltz left the room in tears following the incident, with Brooklyn stating that this was a part of a broader pattern of control from his parents over the wedding. This accusation has led to widespread memes and AI-generated photographs of Victoria Beckham dancing. Regardless of what truly happened, the couple decided to “renew our vows so we could create new memories of our wedding day” in August of 2025 at the Peltz family estate.

So the real question remains: Which Beckham do you believe?