There have been many tears shed in the Beckham household over the past three weeks.
Both David and Victoria have been left reeling in the aftermath of their oldest son Brooklyn’s brutal Instagram statement in which he made a raft of lurid accusations against them.
These accusations were, for the most part, levelled at his mother, including claims that Victoria hijacked his and wife Nicola Peltz’s first dance at their wedding back in April 2022, and danced ‘on’ him ‘inappropriately’.
‘In front of our 500 wedding guests,’ he revealed, ‘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.’
The 26-year-old then finished with a final blow: ‘I’ve never felt more uncomfortable or humiliated in my entire life.’
In a world where anything posted on social media is gospel, Brooklyn’s words led to a global pile on for Victoria.
While there was indeed public support for Posh, 51, whose 2001 single Not Such An Innocent Girl shot to number one in the charts in a gesture of public solidarity, she has been struggling with the fall out.
Friends have told me Victoria feels ‘utterly vilified’ by Brooklyn’s online tirade.
Marc Anthony, a close friend of the Beckhams – and, of course, performer at Brooklyn and Nicola’s nuptials – finally broke his silence over what happened that evening
Yesterday, however, four small words went some way to putting a smile back on Victoria’s face as Latino singer Marc Anthony, a close friend of the Beckhams – and, of course, performer at Brooklyn and Nicola’s nuptials – finally broke his silence over what happened that evening.
The ex-husband of Jennifer Lopez had offered to sing at the wedding as a ‘gift’ to the young couple.
And it was during his performance of the salsa-inspired hit I Need to Know, at around 11pm on the evening of the wedding, that Victoria and Brooklyn had their brief boogie, hours after Brooklyn and Nicola enjoyed their first dance to a cover of Elvis’s Can’t Help Falling In Love, sung by South African artist Lloysio.
In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Anthony – godfather to David and Victoria’s youngest children Cruz and Harper – said: ‘I have nothing to say about what’s happening with the family. They’re a wonderful, wonderful family.
‘I’ve known them since before the kids were born. I’m godfather to Cruz. I’m really close to the family. But I have nothing to say about what happened there.
‘It’s extremely unfortunate how it’s playing out – but [how it’s playing out] is hardly the truth.’
For fashion designer Posh, that phrase, ‘is hardly the truth’, means the world.
As one friend told me: ‘Finally there is someone calling out Brooklyn for what he said.
‘[Brooklyn’s] message broke his mother. Though she is adamant it wasn’t true, there was such a pile on. But someone actually credible has come out and said the truth.
Two years ago, Marc Anthony was honoured with a Star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame and was joined by his godson, Cruz Beckham
Victoria and David at the Met Gala in 2008 with Marc Anthony and his then wife Jennifer Lopez
‘While there is no way that Marc would have wanted to cause any more pain for anyone involved, those four words will mean the world to Victoria.
‘Marc is a long-standing friend of David and Victoria’s and he adores Brooklyn. He was touched to be a part of the wedding. It would have been upsetting for him to be caught up in all of this.
‘There will of course be a sense of relief that the lies being told about Victoria by Brooklyn are unravelling.’
I’m told that Anthony had not planned to talk about the incident at Brooklyn’s wedding or the ensuing fallout in the interview.
And, while the singer did not elaborate on his version of events, the suggestion that Brooklyn’s account ‘is hardly the truth’ certainly chimes with the stories of other wedding guests.
hey claim that there was no inappropriate dancing and that, far from it being Victoria and Brooklyn alone on the dancefloor, David, Harper, Romeo, his ex-girlfriend Mia Regan, Cruz and actress Eva Longoria were also there.
As for Victoria, she describes the dance as ‘a wholesome family moment’ and refuses to apologise for being tactile with her son.
Friends tell me that the family have never shied away from affection and that David still kisses his sons when they come home to see him.
Brooklyn’s tattoo dedicated to his father. Now, paparazzi pictures have emerged revealing that it has been inked over
‘Brooklyn always loved having cuddles with his parents,’ said one friend. ‘That’s what they’re like, and Victoria will not apologise for shaking her hips and a little nuzzle in her son’s neck.’
The suggestion that Brooklyn interpreted a tender family moment as something else entirely has troubled Victoria and David. Indeed, life hasn’t been the same for the family since Brooklyn’s Instagram post.
Of course, it followed months of estrangement between the Beckhams and their son that started last spring.
Brooklyn and Nicola refused to attend any of the former England captain’s 50th birthday celebrations in May, despite flying to London from their LA home.
Since then, there has been no communication between the two sides – and David and Victoria have had to stand by as Brooklyn continues to sever ties from them on Instagram and in the media.
Just days after his Instagram post, Brooklyn and Nicola were snapped by paparazzi during a walk on Malibu beach in photos that had all of the hallmarks of a ‘set up’ picture opportunity. At the time, some insiders suspected that it was Brooklyn’s way of ‘rubbing his parents’ faces in it.’
Just a few weeks later, more paparazzi pictures emerged of Brooklyn that revealed he had inked over a tattoo dedicated to his father.
David and Victoria are yet to speak publicly about the fallout, but hope desperately that, one day, Brooklyn will change his mind and rebuild a relationship with them.
One friend of the Beckhams told me: ‘I have known them all for many years. Never did I think this would happen. They were so close.
‘But it all feels like it’s getting nasty now. It is just heart-wrenching to think that there is probably no way back now.’
Victoria and David will, I know, be praying that their friend is wrong.