David Beckham finally addressed the very public family rift involving his eldest son, doing so from one of the most unexpected places possible: the World Economic Forum in Davos.
While speaking to CNBC during a panel discussion focused on social media and its broader impact, Beckham was asked about the fallout from Brooklyn Beckham’s recent Instagram posts accusing his parents of being controlling and undermining his marriage.
Without naming his son directly, David offered his first on-the-record response since the allegations surfaced.
“Children are allowed to make mistakes—that’s how they learn,” David said. “That’s what I try to teach my kids. But you know, you have to sometimes let them make those mistakes as well.”
The comments were made as part of a broader conversation about online behavior and digital pressure, with David initially sidestepping questions about the family situation before offering the carefully worded remark.
It marked the first acknowledgment from the soccer icon since the dispute went public earlier this week.
Brooklyn, 26, ignited the latest chapter of the saga with a series of Instagram Stories in which he claimed his parents had spent years trying to control his life and sabotage his relationship with wife Nicola Peltz Beckham.
He said he had tried to keep the issues private but felt forced to speak out after what he described as “countless lies” being circulated to protect the family’s public image.
Among his most serious claims, Brooklyn alleged that his parents pressured him to sign away his rights to his name ahead of his 2022 wedding—something he says he refused to do.
He also accused his mother, Victoria Beckham, of hijacking his first dance with Nicola at the wedding. “She danced very inappropriately on me in front of everyone,” Brooklyn wrote, adding, “I’ve never felt more uncomfortable or humiliated in my entire life.”
Brooklyn also claimed that attempts to spend private time with his father were rejected unless those moments took place at highly publicized family events. In his posts, he said he ultimately decided to cut ties and end his pursuit of reconciliation.