David Beckham is reportedly gripped by the fear that history is repeating itself as a bitter and public feud with his eldest son, Brooklyn, deepens. The football icon, who famously fell out with his own father two decades ago, now sees stark parallels in the breakdown of his relationship with his firstborn.
A Painful Echo of the Past
In the mid-2000s, David experienced a significant rift with his father, Ted Beckham. The estrangement began to thaw only after Ted suffered a near-fatal heart attack in 2007. Now, as Brooklyn has blocked his parents and brothers on social media, David is understood to be drawing on his own painful history, hoping for a similar reconciliation.
Insiders suggest that David’s parents, Ted and Sandra Beckham, could play a pivotal role in mending the current family breach. Despite their own bitter divorce in 2002, the pair were seen together publicly last year. Crucially, Brooklyn is said to maintain "communication lines" with his grandparents on both sides of the family.
"While things between him and his parents are over... Brooklyn is still very fond of his grandparents," a source revealed. Notably, Brooklyn still follows his grandparents on Instagram, unlike his immediate family. He publicly wished his grandmother Sandra a happy birthday in June, in what was his last known public acknowledgement of any family member.
The Grandparents' Delicate 'Bridge' Role
Counselling psychologist Dr Jane Halsall told The Mirror that grandparents in such situations often occupy a delicate "bridge" role. "While this can feel protective and meaningful, it also carries emotional strain and the risk of being drawn into conflict," she explained.
Dr Halsall advised that the most helpful stance is one of "warm neutrality"—offering a safe, non-judgemental space without acting as formal intermediaries. She added that David’s recent social media post expressing love for "everyone" shows he is conscious of his own history, but that true healing will require private, off-camera efforts.
David’s relationship with his own father was complex. In his 2001 autobiography, he described Ted as a "harsh taskmaster" who would berate him for football mistakes and noted he never saw his father show tenderness to his mother. The distance between them grew when David moved to Real Madrid in 2003, and the rift was formalised in 2005 when Ted released an unauthorised biography.
Olive Branches and Blocked Accounts
David’s most recent attempt at reconciliation was a New Year’s Day social media post featuring a black-and-white photo of him with Brooklyn, captioned "I love you all so much." Sources have called it his "boldest olive branch yet." However, it remains unclear if Brooklyn has even seen the message, having blocked his father, mother Victoria, and brothers Cruz and Romeo.
Friends of the Beckhams say David and Victoria will "never give up" hope of a reconciliation. "Nothing will change that, and they live in hope. He will always be their son," an insider stated. Conversely, Brooklyn and his wife, actress Nicola Peltz, have historically found such public posts from David and Victoria to be "grating" and "performative."
Sources close to Nicola have insisted there is no chance of an immediate reconciliation, citing the "highly charged atmosphere." Friends of Nicola have claimed she helped Brooklyn "see the emotional abuse and toxic behaviour within his family"—an allegation fiercely denied by the Beckhams' camp as "deeply unpleasant and patently untrue."
Meanwhile, Nicola recently celebrated her 31st birthday at her family’s £76 million estate, sharing snaps with Brooklyn and praising her husband online, seemingly unaffected by the ongoing feud.
