David Fisher/Shutterstock
Romeo Beckham, Cruz Beckham, Harper Beckham, David Beckham, Victoria Beckham and Brooklyn Beckham.NEED TO KNOW
Amid Brooklyn Beckham’s claims that his parents, David and Victoria Beckham, tried to “bribe” him into “signing away the rights” to his name, an exclusive source tells PEOPLE that the situation is a “misunderstanding”
The source says Victoria obtained the trademarks when all of her children were minors and unable to file for themselves
However, The Times reported on Jan. 24 that records show that Victoria owns the trademarks to the names of all four of her children
Amid Brooklyn Beckham‘s claims that his parents, David and Victoria Beckham, tried to “bribe” him into “signing away the rights” to his name, as well as reports that his mother owns the trademarks to the names of all four of her children, a source says the whole situation is a “misunderstanding.”
In a bombshell Instagram Stories post shared on Monday, Jan. 19, Brooklyn, 26, condemned his family’s alleged treatment of his wife, Nicola Peltz Beckham, and said that in the days leading up to the pair’s 2022 wedding, Victoria and David “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.”
Though The Times reported on Saturday, Jan. 24, that records from the U.K.’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) show that Victoria, 51, owns the trademarks to the names of all four of her children, a source close to the family tells PEOPLE that the situation is being misunderstood, considering the fashion designer obtained the trademarks when all of her children were minors and unable to file for themselves.
“This is a misunderstanding of the position,” the insider says.
“Of course, a parent or adult would make the original filing if the person were a child at the point they needed to register, but Brooklyn and his brothers, who are now all over 18, own their trademarks and Brooklyn manages his with his own team,” the source continues.
In addition to Brooklyn, Victoria and David share sons Romeo Beckham, 23, and Cruz Beckham, 20, and daughter Harper Beckham, 14.
Darren Gerrish/WireImage for Victoria Beckham
Cruz Beckham, Harper Beckham, David Beckham, Victoria Beckham, Romeo Beckham, Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz Beckham in 2022.
The Times reported that Victoria has owned the brand name “Brooklyn Beckham” since December 2016, as well as trademarks to the names of her other three children. All of the trademarks are set to expire in December 2026, per the outlet.
To own a trademark, a person must be able to own property, The Times reported. When Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz became adults, they would have been able to request that the legal rights to their names be transferred to them. Until that time, all four Beckham children would need Victoria’s permission for any deals that use their names.
The trademarks cover dozens of products and services, including makeup, body oils, sunglasses, pens, holdalls, electric train sets, leather goods, shoes, tote bags and music, per The Times.
In his Jan. 19 Instagram post, Brooklyn claimed that his parents attempted to coerce him into signing something right before his wedding, though he did not specify details of the paperwork or current status of trademark ownership.
“They were adamant on me signing before the 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,” he wrote in part.
“My family values public promotion and endorsements above all else,” Brooklyn alleged. “Brand Beckham comes first. Family ‘love’ is decided by how much you post on social media, or how quickly you drop everything to show up and pose for a family photo opp, even if it’s at the expense of our professional obligations.”
Darren Gerrish/WireImage
Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz Beckham attend the Victoria Beckham Spring/Summer ’25 fashion show on Sept. 27, 2024
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Victoria and David, 50, have yet to respond to the accusations Brooklyn made on his Instagram Stories. However, David briefly discussed his children’s social media use during an appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box on Jan. 20.
The former soccer star said he tried to educate his kids on the powers and dangers of social media, but that it hasn’t stopped them from making “mistakes.”
“They make mistakes, but children are allowed to make mistakes. That is how they learn. That is what I try to teach my kids,” he explained. “You sometimes have to let them make those mistakes as well.”
Another source previously told PEOPLE that Victoria and David do not want to lose Brooklyn and would accept him back into their lives if he wanted to form a relationship again.
“They are afraid of losing their son and would take him back in a minute,” the source said. “They are a close family, too. Just in a different way than Nicola’s family is.”
According to the source, the elder Beckhams were extremely upset after Brooklyn’s Instagram post.
“They love Brooklyn and are horrified about everything,” the insider said.
Read the original article on People