Brooklyn Beckham has chosen to spend the festive season in the United States, revealing he marked Christmas Day by playing tennis with a famous American sportsman. This comes amid an ongoing and very public family rift which has seen the 26-year-old reportedly block his entire immediate family on social media.
A Festive Snub and Tennis in the Sun
The aspiring chef, who is married to actress and heiress Nicola Peltz, 30, is believed to be spending the holidays with her billionaire parents in Miami, Florida. However, a glimpse of his Christmas activities came from sunny Los Angeles, where he was seen on court with American professional tennis player Reilly Opelka and Nicola's brother, Bradley Peltz.
A short clip of the friendly match was shared to both Brooklyn and Bradley's Instagram Stories, showing Brooklyn giving his best shot alongside the 6'11" pro. This sporting interlude follows a series of social media moves that have highlighted the apparent estrangement from his famous family in the UK.
The Social Media Silence and a 'Thinly Veiled Barb'
The situation escalated last week when Brooklyn's younger brother, Cruz Beckham, 20, broke his silence on the matter. In an Instagram Story, Cruz refuted claims that parents David and Victoria had unfollowed Brooklyn, instead stating that he, David, and Victoria had all been 'blocked' by Brooklyn on the platform. He emphasised that his parents "would never unfollow their son."
Shortly after this, Brooklyn appeared to post a defiant response on his Cloud23 hot sauce TikTok account. A video of him strolling through a city was set to Lady Gaga's 'Telephone', with the lyric 'sorry I cannot hear you I'm kinda busy' highlighted in bold text. Fans were quick to speculate that the timing was a pointed message to his family.
On Christmas Eve, Brooklyn further cemented his current allegiances by sharing a loved-up photo with wife Nicola, captioned simply 'My Everything', as they celebrated with her family.
Festive Divergence and Hopes for Reconciliation
While Brooklyn was in the US, the rest of the Beckham clan were pictured enjoying a traditional Christmas Eve together at their UK home. David Beckham and sons Romeo, 23, and Cruz looked merry wearing Santa hats, with Cruz serving cocktails. Despite the feud, David and Victoria have put on a brave public face for their other children, including 14-year-old daughter Harper.
The rift is said to be taking a particular toll on the family's elders. Victoria Beckham's mother, Jackie Adams, hung a stocking for Brooklyn at her Hertfordshire home in a clear sign of hope for reconciliation. Friends say both Jackie and David's mother, Sandra, are 'extremely sad' about the situation and the uncertainty over when they might see Brooklyn next.
The feud became starkly public when Brooklyn and Nicola did not attend any of David's 50th birthday celebrations in May, and Brooklyn failed to acknowledge his father's knighthood in November. A source close to the family indicated that Brooklyn had snubbed attempts at reconciliation in the run-up to Christmas, opting to stay with the Peltz family instead.
The Daily Mail has approached representatives for Brooklyn Beckham for comment on the claims made by his brother Cruz.
