While the 26-year-old insists he has found “peace” since marrying her, Peltz has, over the years, been embroiled in a string of high-profile falling-outs — spanning friends, stylists, wedding planners and legal disputes — that have repeatedly fuelled scrutiny around her personal and professional relationships.
The Beckhams: ‘Not family’ claims spark the public rupture
Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz pictured with his mother Victoria Beckham (left)
PA
At the heart of the saga is Nicola’s fraught relationship with her in-laws, which Brooklyn has now laid bare in extraordinary detail. In his six-page Instagram statement, the eldest Beckham son accused David and Victoria of making little effort to hide their dislike of his wife, alleging that comments were made on the eve of their wedding suggesting Nicola was “not blood” and “not family”.
Selena Gomez: from ‘throuple’ jokes to conspicuous silence
Selena Gomez
PA Archive
Justin Anderson: stylist fallout after Transformers era
One of Nicola’s most outspoken critics remains former hair colourist Justin Anderson, who worked with the actress during the 2014 press tour for Transformers: Age of Extinction. In 2019, Anderson went on a blistering podcast rant, branding Peltz “the worst of the worst” and vowing never to work with her again.
Sources close to Nicola have claimed the breakdown followed a bleaching incident during the tour, alleging her hair was badly damaged during the process. Anderson, who has worked with clients including Jennifer Aniston and Katy Perry, has never publicly addressed those claims directly, while representatives for both parties declined to comment at the time.
The Hadids: claims of family tension during Anwar romance
Nicola’s relationship with Anwar Hadid has also been retrospectively scrutinised amid fan speculation about strained family dynamics. The pair dated between 2017 and 2018, during which time unverified claims circulated online that Anwar had grown distant from his family.
While there were no official statements, reports later suggested relations cooled, with Nicola unfollowing members of the Hadid family on social media. The situation fuelled online theories — particularly as fans drew parallels between the Hadids’ experience and the Beckhams’ current family divide.
Wedding planners: legal row over £132,000 deposit
Even the couple’s lavish Miami wedding became mired in controversy. Nicola’s billionaire father, Nelson Peltz, sued two wedding planners hired just weeks before the ceremony, alleging they failed to secure vendors, attend meetings or deliver on agreed preparations while retaining a $159,000 (£132,000) deposit.
The planners strongly denied the claims, branding the lawsuit “frivolous”. The dispute was ultimately settled in 2023, with both parties issuing a joint statement and confirming a charitable donation in Nicola and Brooklyn’s name.
Dog groomers: ongoing lawsuit following pet’s death
Court filings show Nicola has continued to pursue the case, arguing the business failed to comply with requests for information, while the groomers maintain there was no abuse or negligence involved.
Meghan Markle: shared ground over family estrangement
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
Getty Images for 2022 Robert F.
Most recently, Nicola and Brooklyn have been linked to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, with reports suggesting the couples have bonded over shared experiences of family rifts and intense public scrutiny. The Sussexes are said to have hosted Brooklyn and Nicola privately in California and offered emotional support as tensions with the Beckhams escalated.
However, the apparent closeness marks a notable shift from earlier signs of distance between the two couples. In the lead-up to Nicola and Brooklyn’s lavish $3million Miami wedding, Nicola was reported to have appeared unfamiliar with Meghan altogether.
The moment emerged during a lawsuit brought by Nicola’s billionaire father, Nelson Peltz, against the couple’s wedding planners, after he described the event as a “sh*tshow”. In text messages disclosed as part of the legal proceedings, Nicola’s mother, Claudia Heffner Peltz, asked whether Meghan had been invited to the wedding — to which Nicola allegedly replied: “Who’s Meghan?”
Around the same time, Brooklyn was asked on US television about Prince Harry and Meghan, but instead chose to praise Prince William, calling him “the sweetest guy”, without mentioning the Sussexes at all.
Further signs of frostiness surfaced in 2023, when Prince Harry was seen walking straight past Brooklyn and Nicola at an LAFC match in Los Angeles. The encounter came amid reports of tension between the Sussexes and the Beckhams, following claims that David and Victoria Beckham had been accused of leaking stories to the press, allegations the Beckhams have previously denied.
The connection has drawn inevitable comparisons between “Beckxit” and “Megxit”, with both women frequently framed as outsiders blamed for family breakdowns.