Victoria Beckham has made a rare comment about her parenting style amid her family’s ongoing estrangement with her son, Brooklyn.
On January 20, Brooklyn shared a scathing statement to Instagram, explaining that he did not want to “reconcile with his family”, amid rumours of a rift.
Now, Victoria, 51, has doubled down amid the criticism, insisting she has never been “pushy or forceful” with her children, Brooklyn, 27, Romeo, 23, Cruz, 21, and Harper, 14.
Though she didn’t reference the alleged estrangement from Brooklyn directly, she candidly spoke about her desire to be the best parent for her children.
“I’ve always wanted to be the best mum I could be and look after the kids, but I also feel that it’s been part of my job to really help them fulfil their full potential and for them to recognise what their sense of purpose is,” she told Emma Grede’s Aspire podcast.
“It’s never about being pushy or forcing, it’s being there to support.”
“We’ve always tried to protect the children as much as we can. We’ve always been very close; communication is key,” she added.
Victoria admitted it is harder to parent children when they are adults versus when they are younger, in what has been interpreted as a reference to Brooklyn.
“I think that it’s very different parenting adult children to parenting smaller children … I’m just trying to do the best that I can,” she said.
“They grow up so quickly, it’s my job to make sure that my kids are the best versions of themselves and that they feel fulfilled.”
It is not the first time that Victoria has made poignant comments about her children in recent weeks, following Brooklyn’s bombshell statement.
She addressed their estrangement when she was asked about her eldest son in a recent interview, though she didn’t refer to him directly.
“I think that we’ve always – we love our children so much,” she told the WSJ.
“We’ve always tried to be the best parents that we can be. And you know, we’ve been in the public eye for more than 30 years right now, and all we’ve ever tried to do is protect our children and love our children.
“And you know, that’s all I really want to say about it.”
What has David said about Brooklyn?
David made some telling remarks about social media just hours after Brooklyn’s bombshell statement, though he didn’t reference Brooklyn directly.
In an interview at an event, the former footballer spoke about the power of social media and how kids can “make mistakes” on the platforms.
“I have always spoken about social media and the power of social media… For the good and for the bad,” he told CNBC’s financial program Squawk Box.
“What kids can access these days, it can be dangerous. But what I have found personally, especially with my kids as well, use it for the right reasons.
“I’ve been able to use my platform for my following, for UNICEF. And it has been the biggest tool to make people aware of what’s going on around the world for children.
“And I have tried to do the same with my children, to educate them.
“They make mistakes, but children are allowed to make mistakes. That is how they learn. That is what I try to teach my kids, you sometimes have to let them make those mistakes as well.”
He did not directly speak about his son Brooklyn’s statement, which addressed the long-standing rumoured feud between himself and his family.
What was Brooklyn’s statement?
Brooklyn broke his silence on rumours of his estrangement from his family in a statement in January.
“I have been silent for years and made every effort to keep matters private,” Brooklyn’s statement on Instagram read.
“Unfortunately, my parents and their team have continued to go to the press, leaving me with no choice but to speak for myself and tell the truth about some of the lies that have been printed,” he shockingly claimed about his parents, David and Victoria Beckham.
“I do not want to reconcile with my family. I’m not being controlled, I’m standing up for myself for the first time in my life.”
A source told the Mirror that his mother, Victoria, was “on the floor, shocked to pieces”, about what he has said.
“Everyone is in shock,” they contented.
“But Victoria is totally in pieces over this. But, she is worried, as is David, that this will be the end of Brand Beckham, with the claims of the falseness and pretend relationships; they are worried about what else he is going to come out with.”
Brooklyn outrageously alleged that his parents “have controlled narratives in the press about our family”.
“The performative social media posts, family events, and inauthentic relationships have been a fixture of the life I was born into,” he claimed.
Brooklyn addressed rumours surrounding his wedding to his wife, Nicola Peltz Beckham, which took place in 2022.
“My parents have been trying endlessly to ruin my relationship since before my wedding, and it hasn’t stopped,” he sensationally alleged.
He also claimed that his mother cancelled making his wife’s dress “at the eleventh hour… forcing her to urgently find” a new one.
Before this, reports claimed that Nicola, who has worn Victoria Beckham designs in the past, snubbed her mother-in-law’s offer to make her dress. Instead, she wore a custom Valentino Haute Couture gown.
However, she later told The Times that her mother-in-law had realised her atelier could not finish it in time, denying speculation that there was a feud.
In his statement, Brooklyn also outrageously alleged that his parents “repeatedly pressured” him into “signing away the rights to his name”.
“They were adamant on me signing before my wedding date because then the terms of the deal would be initiated,” he claimed.
“My holdout affected the payday, and they have never treated me the same since.”
While their wedding day was meant to be a moment of celebration, he claimed that Victoria “went as far as to call me ‘evil’, because the couple, who had been together for almost four years, chose to have their grandmothers at their tables.
He also claimed that members of his family said his now-wife was “not family”, and he received public and private “endless attacks” from his parents, “that were sent to the press on their orders”.
“Even my brothers were sent to attack me on social media, before they ultimately blocked me out of nowhere this last summer,” he continued to shockingly allege.
Before this, however, reports emerged that he blocked his parents and brother in Cruz just before Christmas in 2025. Other reports also alleged that he was blocked by his parents, which Cruz refuted.
“NOT TRUE. My mum and dad would never unfollow their son,” he wrote on his Instagram story.
“Let’s get the facts right. They woke up blocked … as did I.”
Another point of contention during Brooklyn and Nicola’s wedding was their first dance, with previous reports suggesting that it was sabotaged by Victoria.
“My mum hijacked my first dance with my wife, which had been planned weeks in advance, to a romantic love song,” Brooklyn outrageously alleged in his lengthy statement.
“In front of our 500 wedding guests, Marc Anthony called me to the stage, where in the schedule was planned to be my romantic dance with my wife, but instead, my mum was waiting to dance with me instead.
“She danced very inappropriately on me in front of everyone. I’ve never felt more uncomfortable or humiliated in my entire life.”
To this claim, the source told the Mirror that she “said it was a bit of fun”.
However, a source who allegedly attended the wedding told PEOPLE that the couple, however, had their formal first dance earlier in the evening, and also had a traditional dance with her father.
They claimed that the dance with Marc Anthony’s performance was later in the evening.
“Later on, when everyone was casual, Marc Anthony performed and got people dancing. Brooklyn and Victoria danced, David and Harper danced, and everyone had a great time,” they said.
Previously, Victoria issued a rare comment about the wedding on TODAY, describing it as “beautiful”.
“As a mother, to see my son so happy means so much,” she said. “What more can you ask for?”
She then spoke about the bond she has with her family.
“It’s all about communication and being present as a parent. I love to work, I love what I do in fashion and beauty,” she continued.
“But being a parent, being a good mum, is my number one job. But they’re amazing, they work hard, they’re good, sweet, kind human beings, and that’s what you want to do as a parent.”
The vow renewal
The oldest son of the Brooklyn family also spoke about his decision to renew his vows with his wife in August 2025, without his parents.
“We wanted to renew our vows so we could create new memories of our wedding day that bring us joy and happiness, not anxiety and embarrassment,” he explained.
“My wife has been consistently disrespected by my family, no matter how hard we’ve tried to come together as one.”
“My mum has repeatedly invited women from my past into our lives in ways that were clearly intended to make us both uncomfortable,” he continued to allege.
David Beckham’s 50th birthday
As tensions have risen among the Beckham family, David’s 50th birthday was another point of contention.
“Despite this, we still travelled to London for my dad’s birthday and were rejected for a week as we waited in our hotel room trying to plan quality time with him,” Brooklyn claimed.
“He refused all of our attempts, unless it was at his big birthday party with a hundred guests and cameras at every corner.
“When he finally agreed to see me, it was under the condition that Nicola wasn’t invited. It was a slap in the face. Later, when my family travelled to LA, they refused to see me at all.
His claims about family dynamics
“My family values public promotion and endorsements above all else. Brand Beckham comes first,” he wildly claimed.
“Family ‘love’ is decided by how much you post on social media, or how quickly you drop everything to show up and pose for a family photo opp, even if it’s at the expense of our professional obligations.
“We’ve gone out of our way for years to show up and support at every fashion show, every party, and every press activity to show our perfect family.
“But the one time my wife asked for my mum’s support to save displaced dogs during the LA fires, my mum refused.”
He also continued to address rumours about his wife, adding, “The narrative that my wife controls me is completely backwards.”
“I grew up with overwhelming anxiety. For the first time in my life, since stepping away from my family, that anxiety has disappeared.
“I wake up every morning grateful for the life I chose, and have found peace and relief.
“My wife and I do not want a life shaped by image, press, or manipulation. All we want [is] peace, privacy and happiness for us, and our future family.”
