After Brooklyn Beckham confirmed his famous family's long-rumoured feud with a bombshell statement, fans have wondered exactly how long the fall-out has been going on.
The 26-year-old took to Instagram on Monday (19 January), claiming he's 'been silent for years' on his parents, ex-England star David, 50, and fashion designer Victoria, 51, in an attempt to keep the A-listers pleased.
"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 only some of the lies that have been printed," Brooklyn began.
"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."
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Followers of the big-name brood have been somewhat expecting the amateur chef to speak out for some time, with speculation of strife between he and his parents having hit headlines since his and wife Nicola Peltz' 2022 wedding.
Wedding dress drama
For those in need of a reminder, Brooklyn and the American actress started dating back in 2019, with the photographer popping the all-important question a matter of months later.
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Despite the couple tying the knot at one of the Peltz family's deluxe Palm Beach estates in 2022, it wouldn't be until several months later that insiders began leaking stories to the press, alleging pre-wedding drama.
One source claimed that Victoria had promised to design Nicola's gown for her big day, but that something had come up.
"Nicola was painted as a brat for not wearing Victoria Beckham at the wedding," they told People. "She'd gone to a ton of Victoria Beckham fashion shows and events in Victoria's clothing. She even wore Victoria Beckham to her Lola movie premiere."
Nicola - who, instead wore a custom Valentino Haute Couture gown - confirmed an aspect of his allegation, telling Vogue at the time that siding with the Italian fashion brand was a 'no-brainer' after Victoria became tied up.
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"I was going to [wear Victoria Beckham] and I really wanted to, and then a few months down the line, she realised that her atelier couldn't do it, so then I had to pick another dress," the 31-year-old claimed.
"She didn't say you can't wear it; I didn't say I didn't want to wear it. That's where it started, and then they ran with that."
According to Brooklyn, his bride was simply attempting to save face for Victoria.
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"My mum cancelled making Nicola's dress in the eleventh hour, despite how excited she was to wear her design, forcing her to urgently find a new dress," he alleged in his statement last night.
First dance fallout
After claims over Nicola's wedding dress was first picked up by press, another insider claimed that Victoria had also stepped out of line on her son's big day, 'ruining' his first dance.
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The second source claimed the Beckhams' family friend Marc Anthony had gotten onstage to perform for their first dance.
They told People: "[He] asked Brooklyn to come to the stage, and then announced, 'The most beautiful woman in the room tonight, come on up… Victoria Beckham!'"
The source added that Nicola allegedly 'ran from the room crying'.
Another insider told Page Six: "The shock was palpable. It was deeply hurtful. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a one-off. It’s a pattern that still happens to this day. Nicola felt like Victoria did this on purpose, when she knew it was a pre-planned romantic dance meant for Brooklyn and Nicola.
"What she couldn’t understand was why."
This was an allegation that neither Brooklyn nor Nicola addressed at the time, leading fans to question the truth behind the matter.
However, this week, the groom spoke out on his first dance fury.
"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," Brooklyn wrote.
"She danced very inappropriately on me in front of everyone. I've never felt more uncomfortable or humiliated in my entire life."
He added that the incident was so embarrassing, that it spurred he and Nicola to renew their vows just three years later, 'so we could create new memories of our wedding day that bring us joy and happiness'.
On the subject of wedding woes, Brooklyn also took the opportunity to accused his parents of 'repeatedly' pressuring him into 'signing away the rights' to his name, claiming this 'would have affected me, my wife, and our future children'.
"They were adamant on me signing before my wedding date because then the terms of the deal would be initiated," he alleged. "My holdout affected the payday, and they have never treated me the same since."
Tattoo tensions
Between their 2022 nuptials and this week's shocking statement, Brooklyn was also rumoured to have covered up a 'Mama's Boy' tattoo - previously dedicated to 'Posh Spice' with words Nicola had written in a note before they exchanged vows.
His current artwork now reads: "My forever boy. Read this anytime you feel anxious. I want you to know how deeply loved you are. You have the kindest heart I’ve ever met and hope I never go a day without your love. I think you are so incredible.
"Just know we can get through it all together if you breathe slow and trust. I love you beyond. Love always, your future wifey."
This allegation is yet to be confirmed, however.
Birthday blow-out
Last year, after sportsman David celebrated turning 50 with a huge birthday bash in London, celebrity sources claimed that neither his eldest son nor his daughter-in-law had shown up.
HELLO reported at the time that the pair had been spotted in London days before the event, but were ultimately absent.
An insider also told The Mirror that the father-of-four had been 'hurt' by the incident, also claiming Brooklyn had turned the party down because little brother Romeo's girlfriend Kim Turnbull would be attending, to whom he was previously linked.
"Brooklyn didn't want to be in the same room as her, and he told his dad that," another source told People. "But David opted to have Kim there over Nicola."
Both of these allegations, Brooklyn seemed to confirm this week in his social media statement.
"Despite this [wedding drama], 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," he wrote.
"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."
Elsewhere, Brooklyn appeared to confirm the latter accusation, adding: "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."
Social media spat
The Beckham family's first explicit confirmation of tension behind the scenes occurred just last month, when Brooklyn's 20-year-old brother Cruz claimed he'd blocked his parents and siblings on social media.
He began by hitting back at claims that it was David and Victoria that made the first move, insisting: "NOT TRUE. My mum and dad would never unfollow their son … Let's get the facts right. They woke up blocked … as did I."
Insiders later told The Sun that Brooklyn's decision stemmed from Victoria 'liking' a video of his, in which the amateur chef teaches his followers how to properly cook a roast chicken - a fiasco that reportedly rubbed him up the wrong way.
Another source told The Mirror: "It appears that Brooklyn has blocked them to show them that's it, this is final. It is very clear that this is a sign of his complete estrangement from his family."
'Cease and desist'
Though Brooklyn opted not to address rumours of a social media spat last month, speculation hit headlines weeks later, alleging that he'd since sought legal advice on the matter.
Reports alleged that he had issued a 'cease and desist' letter to David and Victoria, instructing them only to reach out to them through his legal representative.
"Truly, people do not know the full facts of this heartbreaking tale, and think Brooklyn was just being truculent when he blocked his parents," an insider told The Sun. "The reality is that he issued them with a letter at the end of last summer, asking for any correspondence to go via lawyers only, and wanted to try and make amends privately not publicly.
"He felt his parents continued to ignore his wishes and kept mentioning him online instead of reaching out privately."
Another source, supposedly close to Victoria and David, claimed the couple 'have simply tried to let their beloved eldest son know the door is always open, and that they still care'.
They added: "After this letter, they had no other physical means of reaching out to him so what were they to do?"
This claim, Brooklyn also seemed to confirm last night while simultaneously taking aim at something he describes as the 'brand Beckham'.
"Family 'love' is decided by how much you post on social media," he claimed. "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."
What else has Brooklyn said?
Brooklyn concluded his bombshell statement by insisting that the 'narrative' that implies his wife has ever been the problem, is 'completely backwards'.
"I have been controlled by my parents for most of my life," he wrote. "I grew up with overwhelming anxiety.
"For the first time in my life, since stepping away from my family, that anxiety has disappeared."
Topics: Brooklyn Beckham, Celebrity, David Beckham, UK News, US News, Victoria Beckham, Nicola Peltz
Rhianna Benson