David Beckham has given his first interview since his son, Brooklyn Beckham, released an explosive statement addressing the relationship with his parents – and his words have taken on a new meaning.
The former English footballer appeared at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday in his capacity as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, as well as a partner of Authentic Brands Group and co-owner of Inter Miami CF.
© Alamy Live News.In an interview with CNBC's Squawk Box, David, 50, said: "I have always spoken about social media and the power of social media… For the good and for the bad. What kids can access these days, it can be dangerous.
"But what I have found personally, especially with my kids as well, use it for the right reasons. I've been able to use my platform for my following, for UNICEF. And it has been the biggest tool to make people aware of what's going on around the world for children."
He continued: "And I have tried to do the same with my children, to educate them. They make mistakes, but children are allowed to make mistakes. That is how they learn. That is what I try to teach my kids, you sometimes have to let them make those mistakes as well."
The World Economic Forum tackles global challenges aiming to improve the state of the world, and this year's theme is "A spirit of dialogue".
What did Brooklyn say?
David's appearance comes less than 24 hours after a statement released by his eldest son, Brooklyn, who addressed the ongoing tensions with his family.
"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," he wrote on Instagram Stories on Monday.
© AFP via Getty Images"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," he continued.
"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."
© Ian West - PA Images2022
April 9th - Brooklyn Beckham marries Nicola Peltz. Reports emerge of a dispute, as Nicola chose not to wear a dress designed by Victoria Beckham. However, in an interview with Grazia USA, Nicola said this was because Victoria's ''alterier'' couldn't make the dress, not due to a feud.
June - During their honeymoon, Brooklyn and Nicola do not meet up with the Beckhams, despite being on holiday nearby at the same time.
August - Nicola appears on the cover of Tatler, where she discusses the pressure Brooklyn feels around his career, and reveals that he often seeks advice from her billionaire father.
October - In an interview with the Sunday Times, when Nicola was questioned about the alleged feud with Victoria she said: “No family is perfect.”
2024
December - Romeo Beckham and his girlfriend, Kim Turbull, go public, and she begins spending time with the Beckham family. However, Brooklyn and Nicola are notably absent from any photos with Kim, who reportedly dated Brooklyn in the past, in the following months.
2025
March 30th - Brooklyn didn't attend his dad's early birthday party in Miami, which was organised by Victoria
April - Romeo shuts down speculation that Kim was Brooklyn’s ex-girlfriend in a now-deleted Instagram comment: “Brooklyn and Kim never dated.”
9th - The Beckham family do not publicly acknowledge Brooklyn and Nicola’s third wedding anniversary.
17th - Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz miss Victoria Beckham’s 51st birthday party. Brooklyn does not post any birthday tribute to his mother on social media.
May 2nd - David Beckham celebrates his 50th birthday in London. However, Brooklyn and Nicola are notably absent and do not publicly acknowledge the occasion on social media.
5th - David shares an Instagram story from a fishing trip he planned six months earlier for his birthday, posing with his sons Cruz and Romeo. He captions the story: “You were missed @brooklynpeltzbeckham.”
25th - Brooklyn posts an Instagram story of himself and Nicola, appearing to take a dig at his parents, with the caption: “I always choose you.”
August 2 - Nicola and Brooklyn renew their vows without any members of the Beckham family present at the ceremony.
October 8 - Nicola and Brooklyn do not attend the red carpet premiere of Victoria Beckham's eponymous Netflix documentary.
December 21 - Cruz Beckham posts a screenshot to his Instagram story of a Daily Mail article claiming his parents unfollowed Brooklyn. He captions the story: ''NOT TRUE. My mum and dad would never unfollow their son...Let's get the facts right. They woke up blocked… as did I.''
2026
January 19 - Brooklyn has broken his silence on the family feud rumours with a lengthy Instagram story. He shared his version of events with his 16 million followers and stated that he has no desire to reconcile with his parents.
February 14th - Harper gave her three brothers a shout-out on Valentine's Day, posting a black-and-white photo of them all captioned: "I love you all so much words can't describe it x". In the photo, she is seen with her arms around Brooklyn as they kneel in a pool alongside her other siblings.
June 12th - While in Los Angeles for David receiving his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Harper visited Brooklyn's home with a letter. She left just 30 seconds later, as the couple were in New York while she was in California.
June 15th - Representatives for Brooklyn and Nicola gave a statement to HELLO! regarding the visit, saying: "The fact that photographers were in place as the letter was hand-delivered says it all—this was choreographed for the cameras."
Brooklyn and Nicola's wedding
Brooklyn's post also addressed the tensions between his wife, Nicola Peltz Beckham, with whom he tied the knot with in April 2022, and his family.
"My parents have been trying endlessly to ruin my relationship since before my wedding, and it hasn't stopped," said Brooklyn.
© Getty Images for Vogue"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."
He continued: "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."
