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Brooklyn Beckham celebrated his 27th birthday on March 4, and his father, David Beckham, marked the occasion with a post on Instagram. The move caught many off guard, as earlier this year, Brooklyn had openly discussed his strained relationship with his parents. The revelation sparked a divide among fans, with some siding with Brooklyn. David’s birthday tribute, however, has faced criticism, with many labeling it as “performative.” Here’s the backstory behind the backlash.
On Wednesday, March 4, David posted two images on his Instagram Stories to honor Brooklyn’s special day. The first picture depicted a young Brooklyn enjoying a swim in a pool, flanked by his parents, David and Victoria Beckham.
“27 today,” David captioned the photo, accompanied by a teary-eyed emoji. He added, “Happy birthday Bust. We love you x.”
The second image was a nostalgic black-and-white shot of David with a teenage Brooklyn, carrying a similar message. Victoria was tagged in both posts.
While on the surface, David’s post may have seemed like a heartfelt gesture, the underlying family tension has led many to view it differently. Observers pointed out that Brooklyn had specifically requested his parents to cease contact, casting a shadow over the birthday wishes.
People aren’t impressed with the post
While David’s post might have been a sweet tribute to his son in any other context, the Beckham family rift has made people view it in a different light. People noted that Brooklyn specifically asked his parents to stop contacting him.
“I mean, he’s asked them not to do stuff like this, it’s hardly going to endear him is it?” wrote one Reddit user.
“He shouldn’t have done this. Brooklyn has literally asked him not to do this,” added another person. “He could just text him privately even if it goes with no response. This is just for public perception.”
Many commenters described the post as “performative.” Some noted that while they hadn’t taken a side before, the post has made them sympathize with Brooklyn.
“This is so manipulative,” one person wrote. “You can’t text them privately? Gross. I wasn’t on any side with this drama but this makes me think Brooklyn wasn’t lying.”
Still, some people could understand why David made the post.
“They are trying to show their son they still love him even though he is mad at them,” one person wrote. “The reason they did this publicly is because they can’t reach out to him privately as they are most likely blocked. One of the stages of grief is denial.”
Brooklyn Beckham said he does not want a relationship with David and Victoria Beckham
In his January statement, Brooklyn described his parents’ social media posts about him as “performative.”
“I do not want to reconcile with my family,” he wrote, adding, “I’m not being controlled, I’m standing up for myself for the first time in my life. For my entire life, my 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 added that he made his statement because his parents have frequently gone to the press with their own narrative.
“I have been silent for years and made every effort to keep these matters private,” he wrote. “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.”