Beckham Family Rift Intensifies Over Name Rights and Trademark Control
The Beckham family, once celebrated as a united dynasty, is now embroiled in a deeply personal and public feud. At the heart of the conflict lies a battle over control, branding, and the rights to their own names.
Brooklyn's Bombshell Allegations Against His Parents
In a startling revelation, Brooklyn Beckham has publicly accused his famous parents, Victoria and David Beckham, of applying intense pressure and attempting to bribe him in the lead-up to his wedding to Nicola Peltz. The central issue was the signing of rights to his own name.
"Weeks before our big day, my parents 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," Brooklyn stated. He further explained that his parents were insistent on securing his signature before the wedding date to initiate the terms of a specific deal. His refusal to comply, he claims, impacted a financial arrangement and irrevocably altered their relationship. "My holdout affected the payday, and they have never treated me the same since," he added.
The Expiring Trademark and a Shift in Control
This family dispute is set against a crucial legal deadline. According to documents reported by the Daily Mail, Victoria Beckham trademarked her son Brooklyn's name in December 2016. This trademark, which grants control over the commercial use of the name, is due to expire in December of this year.
This move was part of a broader strategy. In April 2017, it was reported that Victoria had secured trademarks for all four of her children's names with intellectual property authorities in Britain and Europe. This legal manoeuvre allows the family to release branded products under the children's names while preventing others from doing the same. Victoria and David had previously trademarked their own names in 2000 and 2002, respectively, establishing the 'Beckham' name as a valuable global brand.
The impending expiration of Brooklyn's trademark is significant. When it lapses, he will reportedly have the opportunity to renew the trademark himself, using his own legal counsel, potentially marking a major shift in autonomy away from his parents' brand management.
A Search for Identity and New Family Alliances
The feud appears to be intertwined with Brooklyn's long-standing journey to carve out his own identity, separate from the immense shadow of his parents' fame. He has experimented with careers in modelling, fashion photography, and football—all fields closely associated with David and Victoria—before finding his passion in cooking.
His wife, actress Nicola Peltz, has spoken openly about this struggle. "He felt pressure to follow in his parents' footsteps," she revealed, noting that Brooklyn never felt those earlier career paths were a true fit. "You can tell that when Brooklyn's in the kitchen he's in heaven," she told Tatler, describing how she began filming his culinary exploits during the pandemic.
In a telling sign of shifting family loyalties, Peltz highlighted Brooklyn's growing bond with her own father, billionaire Nelson Peltz. "I watch him call my dad and say, 'What do you think about this?' I love watching him learn from my dad," she said, underscoring a new mentorship dynamic that contrasts sharply with the reported tensions with his biological parents.
This public airing of grievances and the looming trademark expiration point to a profound and ongoing transformation within one of Britain's most famous families, where business, brand, and personal relationships have become inextricably and controversially linked.
