In a stark public display of a deepening family rift, David and Victoria Beckham have removed their eldest son, Brooklyn, from their Instagram following lists. The move comes after it was revealed the 26-year-old will be spending the festive period with his wife Nicola Peltz's family, rather than with his parents and siblings.
A Public Social Media Snub
The picture-based platform now shows a clear digital divide. Brooklyn is also no longer following his mother and father, and the estrangement extends to his wife, Nicola Peltz, 30. She does not follow David and Victoria, and the feeling is now mutual. This is the most visible sign yet that communication has broken down amid an escalating feud that has captivated public attention.
The situation has left David and Victoria reportedly devastated, feeling their son's absence acutely as Christmas approaches. The decision follows reports in July, from friends of Brooklyn, that his younger brothers, Cruz, 20, and Romeo, 23, had blocked both him and Nicola on Instagram.
Christmas Plans Ignore Olive Branches
The Instagram unfollowing caps a year of strain. Relations deteriorated significantly when Brooklyn and Nicola did not attend any of David's 50th birthday celebrations in May. Brooklyn also failed to publicly acknowledge his father's knighthood in November.
In recent weeks, David and Cruz appeared to make public gestures of reconciliation. David shared a nostalgic throwback photo of himself with his sons, while Cruz posted a sweet snap of himself with Brooklyn and Romeo on a beach in Brazil. However, these overtures have been snubbed. Brooklyn and Nicola have already arrived in Miami, Florida, where they will spend Christmas with Nicola's billionaire parents, Nelson and Claudia Peltz, who are said to be "excited" to have them.
This decision is a blow to David, Victoria, and Brooklyn's siblings: Romeo, Cruz, and 14-year-old Harper.
Grandparents Bear the Emotional Brunt
The fallout is taking a heavy emotional toll on the family's elders. Victoria's mother, Jackie Adams, recently shared a festive image from her Hertfordshire home showing twelve stockings hung for her grandchildren—one of which was reserved for Brooklyn, a poignant symbol of hope amidst the discord.
Friends of the Beckhams say both Jackie and David's mother, Sandra, are "extremely sad" about the situation. "They're not getting any younger and the cold truth of it all is that nobody knows when they will see Brooklyn next," a source said. "It's Jackie and Sandra who everyone feels so sorry for."
David and Victoria will spend part of the holidays at their new £60 million Miami waterfront home—the same property where they celebrated with Brooklyn and Nicola last Christmas. Victoria is said to be working hard to stay strong for her husband and their daughter, Harper, as the family navigates this very public estrangement during what is traditionally a time for togetherness.
