January 2026 was a big month for showbiz, with The Golden Globes, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s divorce, and Harry Styles adding two more dates to his astonishing Wembley run.
But it was Brooklyn Beckham who really started the year with a bang. Or, more appropriately, a string of earth-shattering bombshells that ultimately confirmed the rumbling rumours of an almighty feud at the heart of the Beckham family.
It wasn’t just one, but six Instagram Stories worth of tea. Tea so piping hot that the eldest Beckham boy went so far as to claim his Spice Girl mum Victoria ‘danced inappropriately’ on him at his wedding to Nicola Peltz, and that he’d been ‘controlled by my parents for most of my life’.
Among the litany of accusations made about his family – including the fact that he does not wish to reconcile with them and that they ‘disrespected’ his wife – were claims about how the Beckhams approach their lives in the spotlight.
He wrote, ‘My family values public promotion and endorsements above all else. 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 op even if it’s at the expense of our professional obligations.’
But it was his parting shot – ‘my wife and I do not want a life shaped by image, press, or manipulation. All we want peace, privacy and happiness for us and our future family’ – that has come back to bite Brooklyn.
Brooklyn and Nicola are estranged from the Beckhams © Getty Images
Ever the doting husband, Brooklyn, 27, has been steadfastly by his wife’s side during numerous public appearances to promote her brand and acting career – at least eight times in the past four weeks, to be precise. The events kicked off with the Golden Globes x Aman Beverly Hills cocktail party in Venice, with the couple then attending the Kinéo Awards, where Nicola – who stars in the upcoming film Prima – received the Rising Star gong. After, the US-based couple then travelled to Paris Fashion Week, where they risked a run-in with Brooklyn’s estranged family. While Brooklyn and Nicola attended the MESSIKA event last week, the Beckhams were just two miles away, supporting matriarch and fashion designer Victoria at her show.
Yes, the couple have seemingly been lapping up the press opportunities and camera flashes, but Brooklyn’s support for his wife does not appear to have been equally reciprocated. In February, making his first public appearance since severing ties with his relatives, the aspiring chef was a co-host at Mike’s Amazing Burger Bash at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival in Miami. The event gave Brooklyn an opportunity to get his Cloud23 hot sauce on the map, but his wife was a no-show. It was the same story in June, when Brooklyn was interviewed at Tribeca X on a panel about his business.
As he ramps up his joint appearances with Nicola for her ventures, a source has alleged that Brooklyn has simply traded Brand Beckham for Brand Peltz – despite his vehement insistence that he doesn’t want a life dictated by the media.
Brooklyn and Nicola on the red carpet © Getty Images
They said, ‘Brooklyn claimed that he didn’t want his life to be all about image, press and public promotions. Yet lately, his life seems to revolve around Nicola’s career aspirations and where she wants to be seen.
‘He spoke about going out of his way for years to appear at every fashion show, every party, and every press activity to support the narrative of “our perfect family”. Yet here he is, doing exactly the same for Nicola.’
The source added that they are feeding a public narrative that they ‘adore each other’ and their relationship is ‘perfect’ but Nicola is ‘mysteriously absent’ from events that support Brooklyn’s business.
Brooklyn and Nicola went viral at the Deauville American Film Festival in France last month when the pair seemed to have a tense moment on the red carpet. As Brooklyn rearranged the hem of her dress, Nicola appeared less than happy with her husband, who then retreated and watched her pose for the cameras on the sidelines.
One fan speculated, ‘When Brooklyn is by her side she looks confident. He moves away and she looks anxious.’ Another wrote, ‘He’s just an accessory.’
In June, Brooklyn came under fire for hypocrisy once again with the release of his advert for DoorDash. Fans accused him of monetising his family’s rift, as he collaborated with the food delivery business for a sponsored video in which he smirked, ‘You’re probably wondering why I’m watching the FIFA World Cup 2026 from home… It’s a long story.’
Nicola and her father Nelson with Elon Musk © Getty Images
Meanwhile, heat previously reported that Brooklyn plans to be ‘wealthier than his famous parents’ as he prepares to build an empire to rival Brand Beckham with the help of his father-in-law, billionaire businessman Nelson.
A source told us, ‘Brooklyn has been getting advice from Nicola’s dad, as he’s the one who suggested that Brooklyn’s best prospects probably lie in doing everyday products.’
Nelson, 84, has a fortune of around $1.6 billion (£1.19 billion), thanks to his investments, while Victoria and David have a combined net worth of £1.185 billion. Meanwhile, Brooklyn’s income currently comes from his hot sauce brand Cloud23, Instagram sponsorships and brand endorsements, which his father-in-law thinks he should cash in on.
‘Using his fame and name to sell easy consumables such as the hot sauce, that can be sold in volume and built up product by product,’ the insider continues. ‘Nelson has told Brooklyn how it will always generate income until one day he’ll have such brand recognition that it will be a logical step to then have loads of restaurants.’
The pair are reported to have struck up such a close relationship that the eldest Beckham child has been turning to Nelson for advice. ‘Brooklyn has been listening with open ears. In the past his mum and dad would have advised him but obviously he can no longer turn to them,’ the source adds.