Cruz Beckham has made another poignant gesture towards his estranged older brother, Brooklyn, as the influencer prepares to spend the festive season separated from his immediate family for the second year running.
A Festive Season Spent Apart
While Sir David and Victoria Beckham, along with their children Romeo, Cruz, and Harper, will celebrate Christmas together in the UK, Brooklyn, 25, is expected to be in Miami. He will reportedly join his actress wife, Nicola Peltz, and her parents at their extensive Florida compound.
This separation continues a pattern that has seen Brooklyn absent from key family milestones throughout the past year. He missed his father's landmark 50th birthday celebration in May and was notably not present at Sir David's recent investiture ceremony, where he received his knighthood. He also did not attend the family gathering in October for the launch of Victoria's Netflix documentary series.
Cruz's Public Gestures of Reconciliation
In a move interpreted as an olive branch, 20-year-old Cruz shared a nostalgic home video clip on Sunday afternoon. The footage showed himself and Brooklyn as young children, offering a glimpse into their once-close bond.
This marks the second time in a fortnight that Cruz has publicly referenced his eldest brother on social media. Just weeks earlier, he posted a photograph from a 2021 holiday featuring himself, Brooklyn, Romeo, and their father, captioned simply: 'Love you guys @davidbeckham @brooklynbeckham @romeobeckham.' Sources indicate this is the first image of Brooklyn he has shared since the family rift significantly widened.
Sir David also appeared to make a subtle gesture towards reconciliation recently. While posting a celebratory collage after his Inter Miami franchise won the MLS title—a historic win making him the first to win the cup as both a player and an owner—he included a throwback photo. Alongside images of his current family, he shared a snap from 2011/12 of himself with a young Brooklyn, Romeo, and Cruz after winning the MLS Cup with LA Galaxy.
Family Strain and Grandmothers' Heartache
Insiders close to the family reveal that Brooklyn's continued absence is 'taking its toll', especially following the missed investiture and sporting triumph. However, it is the family matriarchs who are said to be most affected.
Both Victoria's mother, Jackie, and David's mother, Sandra, are described as 'very sad' and 'devastated' by the schism. Jackie, who helped care for Brooklyn as a baby, publicly hinted at her longing for his return by sharing a video on Instagram of his personalised Christmas stocking hanging on her fireplace, alongside those of his siblings and cousins.
Friends say the grandmothers, who were exceptionally close to Brooklyn, are struggling with the uncertainty of when they might see him again. This pain was compounded earlier this year when Brooklyn and Nicola renewed their wedding vows privately, a move that reportedly surprised both Jackie and Sandra as they were not informed.
The tensions within the Beckham family became particularly public in May when Brooklyn and Nicola snubbed David's birthday party. This was swiftly followed by brothers Cruz and Romeo unfollowing Brooklyn on Instagram, signalling a deepening of the rift that shows little sign of a quick resolution as Christmas approaches.
