David and Victoria Beckham returned to Instagram on January 21, three days after their son Brooklyn accused them of sabotaging his marriage.
At a Glance
- David and Victoria posted birthday tributes after Brooklyn’s public attack
- Brooklyn claims his parents tried to “ruin” his relationship with wife Nicola Peltz Beckham
- The 26-year-old says he was rejected from his father’s 50th birthday unless he came alone
- Why it matters: The public feud exposes deep family divisions and could damage the Beckham brand
The couple’s social media comeback featured separate birthday messages to close friends, marking their first online activity since Brooklyn’s six-slide Instagram Stories tirade on Monday.
Victoria celebrated Spice Girls bandmate Emma Bunton’s 50th birthday with two posts. The first showed Victoria giving Bunton a piggyback ride, captioned “Happy birthday @emmaleebunton. I love you so much!!” A second post featured Bunton singing in the group’s 1996 “Say You’ll Be There” music video with the message “Happy birthday Baby 🤍. Kisses xxx.”
David simultaneously honored former Manchester United teammates Phil Neville and Nicky Butt. He shared a photo of Neville with twin sister Tracey, writing “Happy Birthday you 2 ❤️❤️,” followed by an on-field embrace photo captioned “Happy Birthday Mate ❤️ @philipneville18.” For Butt, David posted a picture of himself laughing at a shirtless Butt on the field, then a goal celebration photo labeled “Birthday Boy ❤️🤍🖤” representing United’s colors.
The family’s public rift erupted when Brooklyn, 26, detailed years of alleged mistreatment toward him and wife Nicola Peltz Beckham, 31. “I have been silent for years and have made every attempt to keep these matters private,” he wrote. “Unfortunately, my parents and their team have continued to go to the press, leaving me with no choice but to speak for myself.”
Brooklyn’s accusations include:
- Victoria refusing to support Nicola’s effort to rescue displaced dogs during LA fires
- His mother “hijacking” the couple’s first wedding dance by dancing “very inappropriately” on him
- Victoria canceling Nicola’s wedding dress “at the eleventh hour”
- Family members telling him Nicola was “not blood” and “not family”
- Being excluded from David’s 50th birthday celebrations unless he attended without Nicola
“We traveled to London for David’s birthday and were rejected for a week as we waited in our hotel room trying to plan quality time with him,” Brooklyn claimed. “When he finally agreed to see me, it was under the condition that Nicola wasn’t invited.”
The couple’s absence from David’s milestone birthday in May 2025 sparked initial speculation about family tensions. Sources told News Of Los Angeles at the time that Brooklyn and Nicola were invited, but their no-show remained unexplained. An insider suggested “the relationship is definitely not beyond repair” and that David and Victoria “love and are always there for Brooklyn.”
According to sources close to the situation, David and Victoria have “repeatedly asked Brooklyn and Nicola to meet and talk in order to move forward.” The source emphasized that “David loves his kids… They are his everything,” referring to Brooklyn, Romeo (23), Cruz (20), and Harper (14).
Brooklyn’s statement claimed his family “values public promotion and endorsements above all else” and that “Brand Beckham comes first.” He alleged that despite years of supporting family events and fashion shows, his parents refused basic support when requested.
Following the public statement, sources told News Of Los Angeles that Brooklyn and Nicola “never wanted any of this” and are “sick of it.” The insider explained: “They just wanted to quietly live their lives and be married but after reading enough of the relentless inaccuracies about Nicola, a family member had had enough and wanted to set the record straight last year.”
The source added that the Beckhams “had plenty of time to make amends and try and fix the damage and instead they continued to push these false narratives, and Brooklyn and Nicola are just sick of it. Brooklyn knows his truth and was ready to speak it.”
The timing of David and Victoria’s coordinated social media return-focusing on celebratory birthday messages rather than addressing the family crisis-suggests they intend to maintain their public image amid the ongoing controversy. Their choice to resume normal social media activity without acknowledging Brooklyn’s accusations indicates the family divide shows no immediate signs of resolution.
Key Takeaways
- David and Victoria Beckham resumed Instagram activity after three days of silence following their son’s public accusations
- Brooklyn Beckham claims his parents prioritized their brand over family relationships and actively tried to damage his marriage
- The couple allegedly excluded Nicola from family events and refused private meetings during David’s birthday celebration
- Sources indicate the Beckhams attempted reconciliation talks but Brooklyn felt compelled to speak publicly after years of private tensions
