The Beckham family war is raging on, with their once rock-solid and picture-perfect unit jeopardised by a bitter feud that has now taken a shock turn as celebrity royalty meets the real royals in a surprising pact with Meghan Markle.
Eldest son Brooklyn Beckham and his wife Nicola Peltz are reported to have cut contact with his mum Victoria, 51, and dad David, as well as his three siblings, Romeo, 22, Cruz, 20, and Harper, 13, with the pair pointedly skipping the former footballer’s 50th birthday celebrations.
And sources tell Closer that Brooklyn and Nicola have earned themselves unexpected new allies in Meghan and Prince Harry. Reports last week revealed how the Sussexes were buddying up with the young couple amid their family fallout – which has been branded ‘Beckxit’, much like the Sussexes’ departure from royal life, which was dubbed ‘Megxit’. While Brooklyn and Nicola weren’t directly invited to their Montecito mansion – instead being part of a larger group hosted by Paramount and Nickelodeon CEO Brian Robbins – they found the royal couple to be ‘particularly kind, caring and generous’. And the friendship is seemingly advancing quicker than anyone expected.
Sources now tell Closer that Meghan has grand plans for the quartet.
‘The Sussexes are looking to really build on this friendship, and all of them see huge potential for it to evolve into a “US Fab Four”’, says the insider. ‘Creating this new power alliance is a big slap in the face for David, Victoria and the royals – but the four have zero qualms or regrets about that because they all feel like they’ve been so badly wronged. As far as they’re all concerned, teaming up and finding solidarity in adversity is a no-brainer. And if they can get a sense of revenge in the process, then that’s all the better.’
The source adds that Meghan, 43, is keen to take fellow actress Nicola, 30, under her wing – and the Beckham-Peltzs have been showered with invitations to Harry’s Invictus Games, as well as the couple’s Portuguese villa and Californian home.
The source says, ‘Meghan is super-excited to have Nicola on board as a friend, and they’re brainstorming all kinds of collabs together. Nicola’s extremely grateful to Meghan for all the kindness and support. She’s still very upset about the ongoing feud with Brooklyn’s family, but this blooming friendship with the Sussexes is one silver lining that’s been a huge positive. They’re talking and texting a lot.’
As the warring transatlantic Beckham households hit headlines, royal watchers noticed how the Princess of Wales stepped out in a suit from Brooklyn’s mum’s fashion label, which comes after Closer previously revealed that Kate, 43, has leant on Victoria for advice when it comes to the world of high-fashion.
But it appears the friendship is mutually beneficial, as another insider says, ‘Kate feels sympathy for Victoria, knowing how hurtful it must be to have this estrangement with Brooklyn as well as the difficulties with Nicola. Wearing the VB suit was a subtle show of support, and suffice to say that meant a lot to Victoria and helped boost her spirits. Kate can empathise with the difficulties the Beckhams are dealing with, presumably more so now their own son has teamed up with the Sussexes.’
Rumours of tension in the Beckham fold originally circulated after Brooklyn tied the knot with billionaire heiress Nicola in 2022. According to sources, Nicola, 30, fell out with her fashion designer mother-in-law after opting not to wear a VB-designed dress on her big day.
She later clarified, ‘It’s not a feud! I think it all started because I didn’t end up wearing Victoria’s wedding dress. I thought it was beautiful that Brooklyn’s mum got to make that for me and I was really excited to wear it. And I didn’t end up wearing it.’
Meanwhile, the Beckhams have a long history with both the Waleses and the Sussexes. David and Victoria famously attended both Kate and Wills’ wedding in 2011, and Harry and Meghan’s 2018 nuptials.
But after a reported rift broke out when the Sussexes alleged that Victoria had been leaking information about Harry and Meghan to the press – which they have vehemently denied and was said to have infuriated David – it’s been since known that the Beckhams’ alliance is firmly Team Wales. Meanwhile, the future king, 42, his younger brother, 40, and their wives – who were once dubbed the ‘Fab Four’ themselves – have been estranged since Megxit, when Harry and Meghan left the Firm and moved to Montecito.
And while Kate has shown solidarity with former Spice Girl Victoria, Meghan sees similarities in how she and Nicola have been portrayed amid their respective family fallouts.
‘It’s a very familiar narrative, and one Meghan’s painfully aware of, having been on the receiving end of what she sees as exactly the same type of smear,’ the insider tells Closer. ‘So she empathises and looks forward to being a sounding board for whatever advice Nicola may need.’
Although rumours of the Beckham feud have been swirling for a while, Brooklyn and Nicola have failed to address it. Instead, the pair have been putting on a united front at events across Los Angeles, where they live. The couple wore matching black outfits at Airbnb’s Summer Release, while plugging Brooklyn’s collaboration with the company through his Cloud 23 hot sauce brand, and they also joined Hollywood actors Gerard Butler and Lewis Tan at Oliver Trevena’s bash.
Their united front has done nothing to help stop the whispers of a huge rift between them and his family – which was ramped up further by Brooklyn’s decision to snub not only his father’s milestone birthday celebrations, but also his mum’s 51st. And in a further blow, Romeo and Cruz both wished Victoria a Happy Mother’s Day (celebrated in America on 11 May) – which Brooklyn failed to acknowledge.
Although pals say she is a ‘scapegoat’ in the dispute, it’s rumoured that Brooklyn and Nicola have distanced themselves from his family due to Romeo’s romance with DJ Kim, 24 – who the oldest of the Beckham brood allegedly had a fling with nine years ago.
Reports also state that while his in-laws – Nelson, 82, and Claudia, 70 – have become a ‘sanctuary’ to Brooklyn, his own parents have been left ‘heartbroken’.
‘He sees them as a kind of sanctuary where he can hide away if he wants to, but that is almost impossible in the Beckham family, they always seem to be on show,’ says a source. ‘There is less pressure on him in a way.’
Another insider reveals, ‘There has been no call, no contact, nothing. As parents, David and Victoria are concerned for their son and they have tried to get in touch, but he has no plans to speak to them.’
With Brooklyn’s loved ones taking the view that ‘he does what Nicola wants’, an insider says, ‘Nicola’s a feisty, resilient character who’s been raised to stand her ground and not to take any c**p from anyone. But she’s only human and a pretty sensitive character beneath that tough exterior. She’s upset and adamant that she’s done nothing to deserve it. She’s bewildered that she’s in a position of having to defend herself, let alone be banished into exile along with Brooklyn.’
They add, ‘There’s no doubt Brooklyn and Nicola have a lot in common with the Sussexes – and they have a lot to discuss.’