Nicola Peltz is set to be absent from future Beckham family gatherings and not without reason. The American heiress has been embroiled in controversy as she and her spouse Brooklyn Beckham skipped out on a series of festivities for David Beckham’s 50th birthday bash.

The Beckhams had quite the celebration spree, kicking off with an intimate event at their countryside abode in the Cotswolds, then jetting off to France, and finally culminating with a star-studded dinner soiree in London’s Notting Hill on Saturday. However, Nicola and Brooklyn were noticeably missing from the merrymaking, despite being in the UK capital and Brooklyn’s prior assurance to his family of their attendance – they ultimately didn’t turn up. There’s talk that Brooklyn later suggested a one-on-one catch-up with his father, but faced rejection, with a clear message that the family would celebrate as a unit.

During the family celebrations, rumours have surfaced that Nicola’s “controlling behaviour” might have influenced their decision to give the Beckham party a miss, reports the Mirror.

In November last year, Romeo Beckham, 22, revealed he was seeing 25-year-old-model and DJ Kim Turnbull, after mutual social media posts came to light. However, it’s since been revealed that Brooklyn, now 26, once had a fleeting romance with Kim during their teens.

Kim was there to share in the revelry for David’s birthday celebrations, mingling with her beau and his celebrated family. A source told The Sun: “He suggested going for breakfast or a coffee but was told the only chance to see the family would be at one of their lavish parties which Kim would be at – so he refused.”

While Kim has been embraced by the Beckhams, sightings of her with Nicola are non-existent. Moreover, Brooklyn and Nicola seem to have ceased interacting with Romeo on social media platforms.

According to TMZ, Brooklyn and Romeo’s sibling rivalry is intensifying due to Brooklyn feeling uneasy about Romeo’s entanglement with Kim. Notably, Brooklyn and his spouse were absent from matriarch Victoria’s fashion event in March—a decision rumoured to be linked to Kim’s presence there.

Insiders have confided to the media that tensions between the siblings began brewing in December and have only deteriorated since. They assert that though Brooklyn harbours no resentment towards Romeo, he disapproves of the romance with Kim and feels a sense of protectiveness.

Brooklyn is said to feel left out, sensing that the family favouritism has shifted toward Romeo lately. In another twist, Nicola is facing allegations of being domineering over her husband and causing a stir. A source disclosed to the DailyMail: “Victoria and David would do anything to get their son back, but they are done with Nicola now.”

They alleged that Nicola would “kick something off” making it “impossible” for him to attend family gatherings. A source claimed: “It all stinks of a control thing. The family are absolutely certain this is what happened this time round, that a drama was created and Brooklyn doesn’t feel he can turn up to see his family – but it happened three times in a week.”

However, David and Victoria are reportedly eager to smooth over any family tensions. A source told the Mirror: “It has become a problem and not something they can keep private because of the way the family uses social media. Things have escalated in recent months, and there is a very obvious rift that David and Victoria would love to heal.”