Beckham family rift laid bare in new tell-all book
A new unauthorised biography has pulled back the curtain on the Beckham family, revealing allegations of bullying, long-simmering feuds and a painful public rupture between Sir David and Lady Beckham and their eldest son, Brooklyn.
Alison Boshoff's Brand Beckham: The Fame, The Feuds, The Fallout examines the breakdown between the couple and Brooklyn Beckham-Peltz, which escalated dramatically in January when he posted a lengthy Instagram statement accusing his parents of controlling him and placing lies in the media.
What does the book say about Victoria Beckham's time in the Spice Girls?
Boshoff, speaking on The Daily T podcast, alleges that Victoria Beckham was effectively ostracised during her Spice Girls years. A source close to the group told Boshoff that Victoria had a low status in the band and was virtually bullied, particularly by Mel B.
It was a girl band mentality in those days and all about who is the thinnest, the prettiest, who gets to sing lead, who gets the best shots in the videos.
Boshoff also claims that Victoria developed an eating disorder after Geri Halliwell showed her how to count calories. The alleged treatment is why Victoria has largely avoided Spice Girls reunions, according to the book.
How did the rift with Brooklyn Beckham begin?
The tensions predate Brooklyn's 2022 wedding to Nicola Peltz. Boshoff reports that the couple had not been speaking to his parents for months beforehand, following a dispute over the rights to the Beckham name.
More fundamentally, Boshoff writes, his parents disliked Nicola, and she felt nothing she did was ever enough. The Beckhams allegedly briefed against her through the media, describing her in unflattering terms.
What was the final straw?
According to Boshoff, the breaking point came in the lead-up to David Beckham's 50th birthday in 2025. By then, Romeo Beckham was dating model and DJ Kim Turnbull, with whom Brooklyn had a prior romantic history.
David and Victoria repeatedly invited Turnbull to family events. Brooklyn and Nicola told the family they would not attend the birthday party if Turnbull was present. She was invited anyway and appeared in the Beckhams' Instagram posts; Brooklyn and Nicola were absent.
Boshoff said that incident started a ripple, followed by a summer of negative briefings from the Beckham camp about Brooklyn and Nicola. Brooklyn eventually asked through lawyers for his parents to stop tagging him on Instagram, but they continued.
What happened after Brooklyn's public statement?
Boshoff writes that Victoria was inconsolable after reading her son's post, and her mother Jackie worried she might harm herself. Staff were reportedly asked to keep watch over her.
These are people who genuinely and sincerely love their children. It's a very painful thing for them.
Boshoff told The Daily T that the Beckhams believe the relationship cannot be repaired until Brooklyn and Nicola separate, a prospect she described as unlikely in the foreseeable future.
Brand Beckham: The Fame, The Feuds, The Fallout is published by Bonnier Books UK.