Brooklyn Beckham has reportedly been left deeply frustrated after his parents publicly wished him a happy birthday, with insiders claiming he believes the gesture crossed a boundary that had previously been agreed upon.
The eldest son of David and Victoria Beckham turned 27 on Wednesday, but what should have been a family celebration instead highlighted the ongoing rift between Brooklyn and his famous parents.
According to sources, Brooklyn was “disheartened” when David and Victoria posted affectionate birthday tributes on Instagram, despite an earlier understanding that any communication would happen privately through lawyers following the family’s bitter fallout.
An insider told ET that Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz were unhappy with the public nature of the messages, saying they viewed them as exactly the type of behaviour he has been trying to stop. The source said Brooklyn and Nicola were disheartened that his parents chose to make public Instagram posts for his birthday, adding that these were the same kinds of performative public actions Brooklyn has been attempting to end.
The tension stems from a legal letter sent last summer, in which Brooklyn reportedly asked his parents that any further communication should go through lawyers rather than through social media or public channels.
Despite that request, the Beckham family marked his birthday with a wave of tributes.
David Beckham shared a nostalgic childhood photo of his son and used his affectionate nickname, writing: “27 today. Happy Birthday Bust. We love you.”
Victoria Beckham posted the same photo shortly afterwards and added her own message: “Happy birthday Brooklyn, we love you so much,” before sharing another picture of herself laughing with her son, accompanied by a string of heart emojis.
Brooklyn’s younger brothers also reached out publicly. Romeo Beckham uploaded a throwback picture of himself with his older brother, while Cruz Beckham shared a childhood photo and wrote simply: “I love you.”
However, Brooklyn made no public acknowledgment of any of the messages.
Instead, he appeared to focus entirely on celebrating with his wife Nicola Peltz. The actress shared a series of birthday tributes online, including a photo of the couple standing in a room decorated with pink balloons.
In her message, Nicola gushed: “Happy birthday baby… I hope all your dreams and wishes come true! You light up every room you walk into and anyone who knows you loves you… you’re the most special human and I love being your wife. I love you I love you I love you.”
Brooklyn quickly responded to his wife’s tribute, writing simply: “I love you baby girl.”
Nicola also organised an elaborate celebration for her husband, presenting him with a box of personalised iced cakes spelling out “Happy Birthday Brooklyn,” alongside a large pile of gifts wrapped in paper branded with “Cloud 23” — a nod to his hot sauce brand, named after the shirt number David Beckham famously wore during his football career.
In a video shared online, Nicola could be heard encouraging him to make a wish as he prepared to blow out the candles.
While Brooklyn did not respond publicly to his parents’ messages, his grandparents Ted and Hilary Beckham also posted a warm tribute, writing: “Happy birthday Brooklyn. Hope you have a fabulous day. With love from Grandad and Hilary.”
Recent reports suggest Brooklyn remains in contact with his grandfather Ted and his wife Hilary, despite continuing tensions with David and Victoria.
The family divide became public earlier this year when Brooklyn released a lengthy six-page statement on Instagram accusing his parents of prioritising their public image over their family relationships.
He wrote that for his entire life his parents had controlled narratives in the press about their family, describing performative social media posts, family events and inauthentic relationships as a constant feature of the world he was born into.
Brooklyn also claimed he had witnessed how far his parents would go to place what he described as lies in the media to preserve their public facade, adding that he believes the truth eventually comes out.
The growing distance between Brooklyn and his family has been visible in recent months. He did not appear in Victoria Beckham’s recent Netflix docuseries, skipped the October premiere, and also missed David Beckham’s 50th birthday celebrations last May.
He was also absent when David received his long-awaited honour at Windsor Castle in November.
Now living in the United States with Nicola, Brooklyn appears determined to keep his distance — even as the rest of the Beckham family continue to reach out publicly.
