Bad blood between the Beckhams at Christmas might seem trite. But here’s why it’s important
There is not one saga I have been more invested in this year than the Beckham family feud. In case you are not as shamelessly showbiz-pilled as I am, this is a drama that parses like something between the parable of the prodigal son and Catherine de Medici’s tension with her daughter-in-law Mary, Queen of Scots.
It seems that, after years of a trying in-law dynamic, relations between the Beckham family and their first-born, Brooklyn, and his wife, the heiress Nicola Peltz, have soured. Brooklyn has been repeatedly and conspicuously absent from all the family group shots on Instagram and, most notably, mum Victoria’s Netflix documentary, and dad David’s 50th birthday celebrations and knighthood ceremony (and if you know how long Dave’s been auditioning for that honour, you’ll know that this was the biggest indicator of catastrophe).
The roots of the feud allegedly lie in Peltz not wearing a dress from Victoria’s eponymous fashion label for her wedding (and an indication that the Peltz-Beckhams hadn’t been happy with the whole affair came when they renewed their vows just three years later, with some reports claiming that the Beckham family found out about it when the rest of us did). Throw in other factors, such as the Peltz family patriarch being a Trump-supporting billionaire, the perennially directionless Brooklyn having had more random jobs than Homer Simpson, and an overzealous friend who spills too much in online comments sections, and this all has the ingredients of a full-blown soap opera. Though I’ve also found it strangely affecting; every time Victoria (whom I love) made an Instagram post without Brooklyn, I found myself thinking: “Please, Brooklyn, just come back home!”
It’s now reached fever pitch with Brooklyn blocking his entire family on Instagram – as revealed by his brother, Cruz, who responded to a Daily Mail story that wrongly claimed that his mother and father had unfollowed their son. No more rumours, speculation, shady comments – finally a member of the firm has spoken directly, and acknowledged the drama that brands as well cultivated as the Beckhams’ are meant to ignore.
Following this latest development, I had two thoughts. One more audaciously gossipy: if Cruz has finally spoken, in support of his parents, might we get a “Megxit”-style tell-all sitdown where Brooklyn and Nicola dish dish dish to get the upper hand on the narrative? The other is more sympathetic: that this family drama has exploded around Christmastime gets to the heart of why it’s been so compelling.
