WHERE were you the day Brooklyn Beckham went scorched earth?
As the world reeled over his , questions have risen about the UK’s “Other Royal Family”.
Brooklyn has reignited the Beckham family feud with a blistering Instagram rant — prompting fresh questions about his claims and how far, like the other Royal family’, those ‘recollections may vary’Credit: Getty
We have certainly heard about several of Brooklyn’s grumblings before — mostly surrounding .
But Brooklyn’s new perspective is harsher, deeper and more time specific than we ever could have imagined.
Here, we look at the key claims from Brooklyn’s extraordinary rant and question how and where — as the once said about their own rift with an embittered prince — those “recollections may vary”.
THE NAME
WHAT BROOKLYN SAID: “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 because the terms of the deal would be initiated.
“My holdout affected the payday, and they haven’t treated me the same since.”
HOW IT STACKS UP: With a family brand to rival the monarchy, House of Beckham has always upheld duty and unity above all else.
Brooklyn did not elaborate further on the terms expected of him, but the implication is that, with a £500million empire to protect, David and Victoria wanted to ensure proprietorship over everything carrying the Beckham label — including their son and new daughter-in-law’s future profitability.
In 2016, Victoria took out a trademark in her son’s name, as well as those of her other children, covering everything from merchandise and TV shows.
In December, Brooklyn will be free to renew the trademark in his own right.
THE DRESS
WHAT BROOKLYN SAID: “ in the eleventh hour despite how excited she was to wear her design, forcing her to urgently find a new dress.”
HOW IT STACKS UP: There was controversy surrounding the dress from day dot.
While Victoria wore a slip dress from her own line, Nicola wore Valentino couture.
, not least because Nicola had previously worn a design to announce her and Brooklyn’s engagement.
But the timeline is sticky.
In a editorial published one month after the wedding took place, Nicola’s stylist, Leslie Fremar, said her Valentino gown had been a year in the making.
She added that she and Nicola had travelled to ’s headquarters in after which the bride then had two US fittings, making it “the ultimate couture experience”.
Timing is key, and evidence suggests Brooklyn might have an arbitrary sense of it.
THE BIRTHDAY
Brooklyn claims he was frozen out by David unless Nicola stayed away – but fans point to the optics of the Beckhams’ birthday snub and a rival London photoshoot
WHAT BROOKLYN SAID: “We still travelled to for my dad’s birthday and were rejected for a week as we waited trying to plan quality time with him.
“He refused unless it was at his big party with a hundred guests and cameras at every corner.
“When he finally agreed to see me, it was under the condition Nicola wasn’t invited.
“It was a slap in the face.”
HOW IT STACKS UP: Fans will remember .
The optics did not look good.
But Brooklyn has argued it was a PR-managed scheme that made him look like the bad guy.
There is no denying the birthday was a public-facing spectacle but did Brooklyn see his dad without Nicola, as requested?
His silence suggests no.
, which, in hindsight, appears a move to assert themselves on the Beckhams’ turf.
THE CONTROLLING WIFE
WHAT BROOKLYN SAID: “The narrative that my wife controls me is completely backwards.
“I have been controlled by my parents for most of my life.”
HOW IT STACKS UP: Consensus paints Nicola as a demanding wife who could not handle being upstaged and who wanted to cash in on the connections of her famous parents-in-law without kissing the ring.
There have also been claims that billionaire’s daughter Nicola is a “Hollywood brat” who is used to getting her own way.
In 2023 documentary , she is portrayed as “spoilt” and “petty”.
It suggests she brought hard-working planners to their knees.
They sued but the matter was settled out of court.
Yet Brooklyn’s picture is that of a loyal, loving wife, who has helped unshackle him from parental control.
Again, it’s a matter of perspective.
Either way, Brooklyn now feels free.
THE WOMEN
Brooklyn says his wife has been repeatedly disrespected by his family — and while details are disputed, the presence of Kim Turnbull, at events the couple skipped adds weight to claimsCredit: Getty
WHAT BROOKLYN SAID: “My wife has been consistently disrespected by my family.
“My mum has repeatedly invited women from my past into our lives in ways that were clearly intended to make us both uncomfortable.”
HOW IT STACKS UP: Brooklyn’s , who reportedly had a fling with him in their teens, and who is now dating his brother Romeo.
Both Kim and Brooklyn’s brother denied she had ever dated Brooklyn.
But the fact Kim has been at almost every family event over the past year, while the Peltz-Beckhams have been absent, supports the claim they do not feel comfortable in her presence.
Brooklyn Beckham's statement in full
“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.
“I do not want to reconcile with my family. I’m not being controlled, I’m standing up for myself for the first time in my life.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“During the wedding planning, my mum went so far as to call me ‘evil’ because Nicola and I chose to include my Nanny Sandra, and Nicola’s Naunni at our table, because they both didn’t have their husbands.
“Both of our parents had their own tables equally adjacent to ours.
“The night before our wedding, members of my family told me that Nicola was ‘not blood’ and ‘not family’.
“Since the moment I started standing up for myself with my family, I’ve received endless attacks from my parents, both privately and publicly, that were sent to the press on their orders.
“Even my brothers were sent to attack me on social media, before they ultimately blocked me out of nowhere this last Summer.
“My mum hijacked my first dance with my wife, which had been planned weeks in advance to a romantic love song.
“In front of our 500 wedding guests, Marc Anthony called me to the stage, where in the schedule was planned to be my romantic dance with my wife but instead my mum was waiting to dance with me instead.
“She danced very inappropriately on me in front of everyone. I’ve never felt more uncomfortable or humiliated in my entire life.
“We wanted to renew our vows so we could create new memories of our wedding day that bring us joy and happiness, not anxiety and embarrassment.
“My wife has been consistently disrespected by my family, no matter how hard we’ve tried to come together as one.
“My mum has repeatedly invited women from my past into our lives in ways that were clearly intended to make us both uncomfortable.
“Despite this, we still travelled to London for my dad’s birthday and were rejected for a week as we waited in our hotel room trying to plan quality time with him.
“He refused all of our attempts, unless it was at his big birthday party with a hundred guests and cameras at every corner.
“When he finally agreed to see me, it was under the condition that Nicola wasn’t invited. It was a slap in the face.
“Later, when my family travelled to LA, they refused to see me at all.
“My family values public promotion and endorsements above all else. Brand Beckham comes first.
“Family ‘love’ is decided by how much you post on social media, or how quickly you drop everything to show up and pose for a family photo opp, even if it’s at the expense of our professional obligations.
“We’ve gone out of our way for years to show up and support at every fashion show, every party, and every press activity to show “our perfect family.”
“But the one time my wife asked for my mum’s support to save displaced dogs during the LA fires, my mum refused.
“The narrative that my wife controls me is completely backwards.
“I have been controlled by my parents for most of my life.
“I grew up with overwhelming anxiety.
“For the first time in my life, since stepping away from my family, that anxiety has disappeared.
“I wake up every morning grateful for the life I chose, and have found peace and relief.
“My wife and I do not want a life shaped by image, press, or manipulation.
“All we want peace, privacy and happiness for us and our future family.”
THE WEDDING DANCE
Victoria Beckham showing the dress she is wearing to Brooklyn Beckham’s weddingCredit: Instagram/@victoriabeckham
WHAT BROOKLYN SAID: “My mum hijacked my first dance with my wife, which had been planned weeks in advance to a romantic love song.
“In front of our 500 wedding guests, Marc Anthony called me to the stage, where in the schedule was planned to be my romantic dance with my wife, but instead my mum was waiting to dance with me.
“.
“I’ve never felt more uncomfortable or humiliated in my entire life.”
HOW IT STACKS UP: This snippet set the internet alight with enough parodies and memes to cause a global power cut.
The only footage of the mother-son dance was taken by the couple’s official videographer as guests had to surrender their phones during the evening.
Yesterday one of the guests, London-based creative director Stavros Agapiou, backed Brooklyn’s version of events, saying: “I was there.
“He’s telling the truth.”
But Vogue’s account of the nuptials contradicts Brooklyn’s version.
It claims the newlyweds’ first dance was to singer Lloyiso’s rendition of Elvis Presley’s Can’t Help Falling in Love.
It reports Marc Anthony took to the stage hours later — and Brooklyn “invited his mother on stage for a dance”.
THE DOGS
Brooklyn claims his mum refused to support Nicola’s LA fire dog rescue, and the couple’s absence from family events suggests this may have been the breaking point in their relationship with the BeckhamsCredit: Instagram
WHAT BROOKLYN SAID: “The one time my wife asked for mum’s support to save displaced during the , my mum refused.”
HOW IT STACKS UP: Nicola and Brooklyn have not been pictured with since Boxing Day 2024.
The LA fires were in January 2025.
So far, no correlation.
But, signing off his statement with his wife’s fund-raising efforts, it seems this issue prompted them to cut the cord.
Social media posts show Nicola set out to help dog shelter Yogi’s House.
There is no evidence Victoria got involved or made any statement to back Nicola’s cause.
Seven months later, they renewed their vows, erasing his parents from their story.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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