The recent public dispute involving Brooklyn Beckham and his parents, David and Victoria Beckham, has drawn attention to a growing trend of adult children cutting off contact with their families. The conflict began in December when Victoria Beckham liked a video of a roast chicken posted by Brooklyn on Instagram. According to emerging social media terminology, this act was interpreted as crossing a boundary from 'no contact' to 'very low contact', prompting Brooklyn to block his mother and other family members on the platform.
The terms 'no contact' (NC), 'very low contact' (VLC), and 'low contact' (LC) are used by online communities that support adults who have become estranged from their parents. While family estrangement is not a new phenomenon, what is notable is the codification and normalisation of such decisions, which aims to remove stigma and guilt from what is often a traumatic choice.
Critics of the 'no contact' movement argue that the decision may sometimes be made flippantly. Parents in these discussions are frequently accused of behaviours such as narcissism, controlling tendencies, and gaslighting. The Beckham situation is said to be typical in this regard, with the parents perceived as attention-focused. David Beckham commented this week that 'children are allowed to make mistakes', without elaborating further.
Data on estrangement suggests the phenomenon is widespread. A 2024 article in The New Yorker cited that 27% of Americans are estranged from a relative, while charities in Britain estimate that 20% of families are affected. Some individuals opt for a middle ground known as 'grey rocking', where they maintain contact but remain emotionally uninvolved, acknowledging provocations without being drawn in.
In a separate legal development, the wedding planners hired by Brooklyn Beckham and his wife Nicola Peltz have filed a counterclaim against a lawsuit brought by Nicola's father, Nelson Peltz. The details of the case have been described as revealing the personalities involved. Meanwhile, there are indications that some parents are pushing back against estrangement, such as the social media account 'Doormat Mom', set up by 59-year-old Laura Wellington after her daughter did not invite her to her wedding.
