David Beckham is a doting dad to his 14-year-old daughter Harper, who he shares with his fashion designer and former Spice Girl wife Victoria Beckham.
We often see sweet photos of David and Harper on his social media pages, revealing the father and daughter’s close bond – the pair share a love of cooking and are frequently spotted having a family cuddle. It’s no surprise then, that David, 50, is fiercely protective of his only girl. Back in 2013, when Harper was just 22 months old, David revealed how he will be overcautious when his daughter grows up and becomes interested in boys.
"Absolutely not," he told The Sun. "She's not going out. She's going to be like Rapunzel - up in the tower." He added: "I'm not saying I love my daughter more, but the boys are independent."
And when Harper was born in 2011, David told Access Hollywood: "She's got three brothers that will take her, three brothers that will eat with her and three brothers that will bring her back home and a dad waiting for her. So yeah, we'll see. That'll be interesting."
Following Harper’s birth, the protective dad-of-four quipped to The Guardian: "All I need now is a shotgun."
In 2016, David was probed about Harper's future dating life again as eldest son Brooklyn became of dating age. When asked about the rules, he shared that they would "definitely be different".
In 2022, Harper revealed she had a crush, and David caused quite the stir on social media after admitting he was "unimpressed" by his daughter’s confession. The famous dad had shared a sombre black-and-white photo, showing him looking furious while rocking a pair of sunglasses.
Expressing his annoyance, David teased: "Roses are red, Harper seven mentions she has a crush & this is daddy's face but it's ok she said, 'Daddy you are my only Valentine."
However, the star footballer later seemed to soften his position. He joked: "My boys get ready," as he shared a picture of the young girl when she marked her 13th birthday back in 2024.
Protective dad
It's not just Harper who David is protective over, as back in 2015, he confessed that he chaperoned Brooklyn on his first date, after wife Victoria became concerned. During an appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden, he said: "It was Valentine's Day, so he [Brooklyn] said, 'I'd love to take this girl to dinner'."
David continued: "So we took him to a small sushi restaurant and he sat at the sushi bar and I sat about five tables back. By the way, my daughter is four years old. When she gets to that age, I will be closer than that."