David Beckham and Katherine Jenkins came face-to-face at Wimbledon on Monday, nine years after the football legend's furious comments about the Welsh singer emerged. The former England captain was in the Royal Box alongside his mother Sandra to watch the first day of action at SW19, with Jenkins and her husband Andrew Levitas seated directly behind them.
Awkward Seating Arrangement
The reunion comes two years after the pair had a tense encounter in the same box, following the leak of Beckham's emails. Jenkins and Levitas were placed directly behind Beckham, with TV presenter Alexander Armstrong nearby.
Leaked Emails and Fallout
After Jenkins was awarded an OBE in 2014 for services to music and charity, Beckham—who was overlooked for a knighthood—criticised the decision in an email to his advisor. The email, leaked in 2017, read: "Katherine Jenkins OBE for what? Singing at the rugby and going to see the troops plus taking coke. F***ing joke."
Jenkins later admitted feeling hurt by Beckham's comments, revealing he never apologised. "You're just minding your own business and you get caught up in this massive storm," she told The Sun. "To get caught up in that wasn't pleasant." She added: "I've never heard anything from them about it. It doesn't matter."
Drug Admission Context
Beckham's reference to 'coke' stemmed from Jenkins' prior admission of taking illegal drugs—including cocaine, ecstasy, and MDMA—until age 23. She told The Sun: "I felt like I had to be honest... I definitely don’t regret talking about it."
Previous Affair Denial
The furore occurred five years after Jenkins publicly denied an affair with Beckham, following social media rumours. Beckham was finally knighted in 2025 for services to sport and charity.
Other Royal Box Attendees
Also present in the Royal Box on Monday were actor Sir Mark Rylance, singer Ronan Keating, food writer Dame Mary Berry, and former Strictly Come Dancing host Tess Daly.
