Victoria Beckham has finally addressed a handful of the claims made by her eldest son, Brooklyn, following his explosive social media statement in January.
Brooklyn torched ties with his family in a bombshell statement that included damning allegations such as his parents putting “Brand Beckham” above all else, as well as claims of hostility towards his wife, Nicola Peltz.
However, the singer has now maintained that the family’s commercial empire emerged naturally rather than through deliberate design.
Appearing on entrepreneur Emma Grede’s podcast Aspire, the 52-year-old fashion designer pushed back against suggestions that she and husband Sir David had strategically constructed their £500 million brand.
Victoria Beckham has insisted she has never been a ‘pushy’ parent or that she prioritises ‘Brand Beckham’
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“When David and I first met, it was never our intention to start a brand,” she told the Dragons’ Den star. “People talk about ‘Brand Beckham’. That has happened so organically.”
The former Spice Girl pointed to their separate early endorsement deals as evidence, noting David’s partnerships with Brylcreem, Adidas and Pepsi alongside her own pop group’s commercial tie-ups with Walker’s crisps and Chupa Chups.
“That was never something that we even discussed,” she insisted.
Brooklyn’s January statement ran to 821 words and levelled serious accusations against his parents, claiming he had been “controlled by a family that values public promotion above all else”.
Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz have torched their ties to the Beckhams | GETTY
The 27-year-old alleged his upbringing was marked by “performative social media posts, family events and inauthentic relationships”.
His most personal claims centred on his 2022 wedding to Nicola, where he alleged Victoria had “hijacked” his first dance with his bride.
Brooklyn claimed his mother had labelled him “evil” over the couple’s decision to seat his grandmother and Nicola’s grandmother at their table rather than placing Victoria at the head table.
He also alleged Victoria withdrew from designing Nicola’s wedding dress at the last moment, forcing an urgent search for a replacement.
Victoria Beckham ‘hijacked’ Nicola’s first dance with her new husband, according to Brooklyn | GETTY
Elsewhere in the interview, Victoria rejected the suggestion that she had been an overbearing mother to Brooklyn and his siblings Romeo, 23, Cruz, 21, and Harper, 14.
She acknowledged her children experienced significant pressure growing up in the spotlight, particularly after Brooklyn revealed he had struggled with “overwhelming anxiety” during his youth.
“Our children have had a very different upbringing to myself and David and I think the world is also a very different place now to what it was when they were younger,” she explained.
“We’ve always tried to protect the children as much as we can. We’ve always been very close, communication has been key… we’re quite a traditional family.
“So being very close is really, really important to us,” she went on. “Ultimately, we want the kids to be hardworking and kind.
The designer maintained that her role was supporting her children to reach their potential rather than pressuring them.
“I’ve always wanted to be the best mum that I could be and look after the kids, but I also feel like it’s been part of my job to fulfill their full potential and recognise what their sense of purpose is.”
“It’s never about being pushy or forcing,” she clarified, using her son Cruz’s musical career as an example.
Victoria also insisted she and her husband “don’t put any pressure” on their children.
The estrangement between Brooklyn and his parents has deepened considerably, with the couple reportedly not speaking to their son since last May.
Brooklyn and Nicola notably declined to attend Sir David’s 50th birthday celebrations, as well as the investiture that saw him finally granted a knighthood.
In his statement, Brooklyn claimed that since distancing himself from his parents, his mental health had transformed dramatically.
“For the first time in my life, since stepping away from my family, that anxiety has disappeared,” he wrote, describing waking each day with “peace and relief”.
The rift has extended to his siblings, with Brooklyn alleging his brothers were “sent to attack me on social media” before ultimately blocking him without explanation last summer.
The rest of the Beckham family have remained united despite Brooklyn’s estrangement.