Latest news with #Beckxit
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘They're perfect – until they aren't': why are people so interested in the Beckxit beef?
If the biggest feud of the week belongs to Donald Trump and Elon Musk, then the longest running is arguably 'Beckxit'. The name given to the fallout between one of the most famous couples in the world – David and Victoria Beckham – and their less famous eldest son, Brooklyn and his wife, Nicola Anne Peltz, was coined by the Daily Mail this year. But it covers a broader conflict that began in 2022, when Peltz wore Valentino instead of Victoria Beckham to her wedding, and brings us to this week's lavish cover-shoot for German Glamour magazine in which the Beckhams junior discuss their 'occasionally messy, very real love' and whether they might open a restaurant – without a word about her in-laws. Such are the vagaries of celebrity beef, no one really knows what happened in between. But things had clearly ratcheted up when photos of David's 50th birthday party last month appeared online – with no sign of Brooklyn. Further details involving Romeo Beckham's now-ex-girlfriend, various tattoos and a failure to attend one of Victoria's fashion shows began bubbling up, and soon Beckxit had become a reality. Since then every appearance and Instagram post has been picked over by media outlets and armchair journalists alike. Within hours of the Glamour shoot appearing online, the Daily Mail were speculating in one of their 52 stories (and counting) over whether the interview was proof that the feud was far from over. The timing of the Glamour piece was terrible or brilliant, 'depending on whose publicist you were', says PR agent Mark Borkowski, who helped revive Noel Edmonds' career. But however you look at it, it is 'absolutely a war of spin', he says, of the shoot. 'It's what I call a visual soundbite. These images often don't always have the meaning we imbue them with,' he says. 'But we still feed off of it because we are all culprits driven by twitching.' Dr Kadian Pow, a lecturer in sociology at Birmingham City University, agrees. 'The PR moves have to be connected,' she says. 'It's another power play between the two parties.' From the Times of India to Jordanian paper Amman, coverage of this three-year family 'feud' has been extraordinary – especially considering we'll probably never know the truth, nor do we really care. So why are people compelled to read on? 'It's about titillation, and it's about power [and] the Beckhams', says Pow, 'But more widely, these tales are an escape from the doom and political reality [of the news cycle]' says Pow. 'We are fascinated because they are supposed to be richer and better than us – so when we see a flaw that mirrors us ordinary folk and our everyday fallouts, it makes us feel better about ourselves' In The Stars in our Eyes, Julie Klam's 2017 book exploring our fascination with celebrities, celebrity-watching is compared to a fun-house mirror, as if celebrities are constructed to keep ourselves in check. 'If we can get a handle on our relationship to celebrity', Klam writes, 'we can better understand ourselves.' Celebrities are perfect, she says, until they aren't. Sign up to Fashion Statement Style, with substance: what's really trending this week, a roundup of the best fashion journalism and your wardrobe dilemmas solved after newsletter promotion Gossip is not without its victims though, warns Mark Stephens, a media lawyer at Howard Kennedy, citing the media's part in the divorce between Paula Yates and Bob Geldof. Just as newspapers have dedicated Beckham correspondents, there is an entire Tiktok cottage industry of amateur sleuthing which capitalises on other people's difficulties for clicks and profit. Most of this is unregulated of course. 'And there are libel laws that bring to bear [legal action], but the harm is usually done by that point', says Stephens. Still, fights and breakups are life's great equaliser and occasionally, says Pow, when the stars are as big as the Beckhams, these feuds can be 'a shared experience, which is particularly salient in what has become an increasingly siloed society', she says. 'There isn't a lot of monoculture left, but these big juicy stories allow us to whisper together.' Indeed, celebrity feuds have been entertaining us for centuries. In medieval Italy, the satirist Pietro Aretino was supposedly employed by the French king to write propaganda about the Spanish king, while being paid by the Spanish king to write propaganda about the French king. It was a weaponising of gossip on a par with 2019's Wagatha Christie, in which the machinations of back-stabbing celebrity wives turned Instagram into a global whodunnit. These public disagreements don't just sit within the divorce courts and red tops, but on social media. 'The 2014 elevator beef between Jay Z and Solange was a pivotal moment and how these moments are shared' says Pow, of the leaked CCTV footage of Beyonce's sister hitting the rapper over a supposed infidelity. Sometimes these fights feel curated – and often are. At present, some gossip sites are suggesting the feud has been confected to drum up publicity for Victoria's forthcoming Netflix documentary this October. One reason for the intense Beckxit media interest is that it involves two nepo babies (Peltz is also a billionaire heiress). 'These children are looking to monetise their lives, yet are in economic competition not just with their peer-group, but also their parents,' says Stephens. This is particularly uncomfortable for the Beckham 'brand' which is built on family. Victoria and David came of age 'in full tabloid glare', says Stephens. '[But with the offspring] it's harder – what you have is a case of children growing and boundary finding, except in the public eye.' 'I do think people believe that the kids of celebrities are fair game' says Klam. 'But I do not. Nepo babies have it worse than normal people because everyone thinks they've had everything handed to them.' Still, she says, 'now that Brooklyn is choosing to be in the spotlight, well, he is fair game. It's not like he decided to be a shepherd or something.'
Daily Mail
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Who's Meghan? What Nicola Peltz said as she drew up guest list for wedding to Brooklyn Beckham - before she and the duchess found 'common ground' after being branded 'homewreckers'
Nicola Peltz and the Duchess of Sussex are said to have bonded at the Beckxit summit in Montecito over being branded 'homewrecker' women who 'tear apart their husbands' families'. But the heiress recently declared 'Who's Meghan?' when asked if she was inviting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to her $3million wedding to Brooklyn Beckham, it has emerged. Nicola's perplexed response was revealed in a lawsuit brought by her billionaire father two years ago when he sued wedding organisers after deciding the lavish Miami event for 500 VIP guests was a 's**tshow'. MailOnline can reveal that while the couples have reportedly found kinship over their own family feuds, before Beckxit both parties appeared less keen - even oblivious, at times. As well as Nicola forgetting who Meghan was, six months ago Brooklyn was on US TV and was asked about the virtues of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Instead he chose to praise Prince William - calling him the 'sweetest guy' - and failed to mention the Sussexes at all. And in 2023 Prince Harry walked straight past Brooklyn and Nicola at a LAFC match at a time when it was claimed there was a feud between the Sussexes and the Beckhams in a row over allegations of leaking stories to the press. The viral footage further fueled online conspiracies that the two clans had fallen out. 12 months earlier Nicola appeared perplexed about who Meghan Markle was in a text to her mother about her and Brooklyn's wedding guest list. Claudia Heffner Peltz had asked her: 'Did Meghan get an invite?' to which her daughter replied: 'Who's Meghan?'. The texts appeared in 188-page lawsuit brought by Nicola's billionaire father, businessman and investor Nelson Peltz, 82, over his daughter's 'dream wedding'. Nicola had raged that the 'ever-changing' guest list was like a 'murder scene'. It was in that chaos of who was coming came her confusion about who Meghan was when asked if the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would be coming. Yet today it emerged Brooklyn and his wife Nicola are enjoying the 'secret support' of the Sussexes because of their 'similar family feuds', sources claimed. On November 4 last year, Brooklyn appeared on Watch What Happens Live! where host Andy Cohen asked: 'Growing up, which members of the royal family did you see the most often, especially since your family is friends with Harry and Meghan?' 'Probably William,' Brooklyn, 26, replied in a rare interview while sat next to Star Trek actor Zachary Quinto. Dodging Harry and Meghan completely he went on about William and said: 'He's just like the sweetest guy ever. He really is. He's really down to earth. He's really [a] good guy'. Meghan and Nicola are said to have had a 'deep and meaningful' chat and bonded over criticism of them. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who enjoyed a date night at a James Taylor concert in Santa Barbara last night after going to a Beyonce gig on the weekend, had the couple over for dinner at their mansion in Montecito, California in recent weeks. Brooklyn, 26, and Nicola, 30, who live 90 minutes away in LA, have received 'unwavering support' from Harry and Meghan who reportedly feel 'empathetic' towards them amid the younger couple's tensions with David and Victoria Beckham. Yet the couple were not 'directly invited' by Meghan and Harry to a VIP soiree at their Montecito mansion, a pro-Sussex source claimed today. The two women are said to have had a 'deep and meaningful' chat and formed a bond after being accused by critics of being 'homewreckers' and wives who 'tear apart their husbands' families'. They also reportedly clicked over their 'similar family feuds', insiders have said. But the timing of the so-called Beckxit summit amid the younger couple's falling out with David and Victoria Beckham has been described by an insider as 'pure coincidence'. People, Harry and Meghan's preferred publication in the US, has spoken to lukewarm sources that appear to distance the royal couple from the Peltz Beckhams. It has reported that 'Brooklyn and Nicola were not directly invited by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex ', suggesting the couple were asked to be there by a mutual friend or intermediary. The meal was for a larger group of VIPs including TV and media executives. 'Brooklyn and Nicola were invited prior to David's numerous global birthday galas, so the timing is pure coincidence,' an insider told MailOnline. 'While it was an intimate gathering, there were several additional guests, including VIPs and film executives. Brooklyn and Nicola had a wonderful time and found Harry and Meghan to be particularly kind, caring and generous'. The Montecito dinner would likely infuriate David and Victoria Beckham who are said to have fallen out with the Sussexes in a row over allegations of leaking stories to the press. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who enjoyed a date night at a James Taylor concert in Santa Barbara last night after going to a Beyonce gig on the weekend, had the couple over for dinner at their mansion in Montecito, California in recent weeks. Brooklyn, 26, and Nicola, 30, who live 90 minutes away in LA, have received 'unwavering support' from Harry and Meghan who reportedly feel 'empathetic' towards them. 'Brooklyn and Nicola had a wonderful time and found Harry and Meghan to be particularly kind, caring and generous', one source said today. The Duchess of Sussex 'has a lot of sympathy for her' because both women have been branded 'homewreckers', another source familiar with the dinner claimed. 'There was shared common ground', the insider claimed. 'Nicola and Meghan also had a bit of a 'deep n' meaningful' as obviously both women have been positioned in the media as homewreckers - the women to tear apart their husbands' families. 'Harry and Meghan were very empathetic and very kind to them both. Harry was fully aware of the situation and offered Brooklyn his unwavering support as someone who has been through similar'. The Sussexes have apparently swapped mobile numbers with the couple amid the fallout with Brooklyn's family being dubbed Beckxit after Harry and Meghan's own messy feud with the prince's British family. The Montecito dinner could infuriate David and Victoria Beckham who are said to have fallen out with the Sussexes in a row over allegations of leaking stories to the press. There was also footage of them on Instagram showing Harry kissing his wife at the gig, where she danced with his hat on Years later Meghan and Harry fell out with Victoria and David after the couple allegedly had a suspicion the Beckhams leaked stories about Meghan's help from Victoria to the press The Mail's Katie Hind revealed this week that Brooklyn has ditched his old pals in the UK and has followed Nicola's lead when it comes to mixing in new LA circles. David and Victoria, 51, are currently 'heartbroken' over the family feud after Brooklyn and Nicola were a noticeable no-show at the footballer's 50th birthday celebrations earlier this month. Meanwhile, Harry launched a series of scathing attacks on the Royal Family earlier this month, saying he has been cut off from King Charles who 'won't speak to him'. And according to The Sun, Harry, Meghan, Brooklyn and Nicola found 'common ground' as they continue to be at the forefront of their family riffs. A source told the publication: 'They didn't meet in relation to recent developments and headlines, but it was an honest but very welcome coincidence'. People, the Sussexes' preferred publication in the US, has suggested that Brooklyn and Nicola were not directly invited by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex - although the royal couple enjoyed their company. The dinner was for a large group of VIPs and TV and media executives. 'Brooklyn and Nicola were invited prior to David's numerous global birthday galas, so the timing is pure coincidence,' People's source said. 'While it was an intimate gathering, there were several additional guests, including VIPs and film executives. Brooklyn and Nicola had a wonderful time and found Harry and Meghan to be particularly kind, caring and generous'. MailOnline has contacted Brooklyn, Nicola and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex' representatives for comment.
Telegraph
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Beckxit is the celebrity soap opera we didn't know we needed
Beckxit. You heard. It's the new portmanteau du jour, one that encapsulates the pain, trauma and heartbreak of – who am I kidding? – it encapsulates the pity party being held by Brooklyn Beckham and Prince Harry, a couple of over-privileged, under-achieving adults bleating and huffing about how ill they've been served by their bewildered parents. And now they are aided and abetted by conspiracy theorists who know for a fact that the uppermost ranks of the British Establishment have frozen them out – because the Princess of Wales wore a new suit… Dun-Dun-Dunnnnn! Yes, it was in a truly horrid colour and the Irish peasant in me wants to say 'dung'; maybe 'escargot' is more acceptable? I think we can all agree that calling it Chartreuse is pushing it. But the point is that the £1,340 worth of tailoring was by none other than – Victoria Beckham. Talk about mode á clef! Fortunately, deciphering the sartorial solidarity didn't take too long. Any number of observers have been tripping over each other to interpret the two-piece as an incontrovertible signal that the Princess – ergo The Firm – was siding with Victoria Beckham, the anguished mother whose eldest child doesn't seem to be talking to her, by supporting Victoria Beckham, the spenny designer label. Cue the whole seven EastEnders' Doofs. Before I go much further, I should like to confirm I'm perfectly well aware there are more pressing geopolitical issues out there and that this sort of tittle tattle is beneath me. Beneath all of us. But the nation needs gaiety, does it not? And now that Married at First Sight: Australia has ended and Love Island hasn't begun, there's just enough bandwidth to get stuck into an ultimately meaningless transatlantic battle for hearts, minds and, in Hazza's case, a guaranteed security detail every time he returns to the Old Country for a frivolously vexatious court appeal followed by a prickly gripe about his dad, King Charles. It was all getting a bit boring, predictable and (whisper it) sad – Harry's a grown a-- man of 40 with two children. But we're all pepped now that new dramatis personae have entered stage right. According to The Sun, Harry has been providing a listening ear to 'influencer' Brooklyn, 26, who can't take photographs or cook very well and has now fallen out with his Bank of Mum and Dad – sorry, I mean parents. Like Harry, he fell in love and married a beautiful, aspiring (I'm not sure at which point 'aspiring' turns into something far less charitable) actress, Nicola Peltz, who once had a part in Transformers: Age of Extinction. Unlike 43-year-old Meghan, Nicola, 30, is an heiress, being the daughter of a billionaire businessman. Personally, for that reason alone, I wouldn't have her in the house. But working 'mom' Meghan is obviously far less mean-spirited than me and found time in between strewing wild flowers and baking Dubai rock buns to have Brooklyn and his Missus round to their mansion in Montecito.
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
What Meghan Markle and Nicola Peltz have in common: All similarities between Duchess and Brooklyn Beckham's wife as couples hold 'Beckxit' summit amid family feuds
While both are Americans navigating troubled family dynamics after marrying the British sons of famous fathers, the similarities do not end there. And Meghan Markle and Nicola Peltz would have had plenty in common to discuss when they recently had dinner in the so-called 'Beckxit' summit in Montecito. Meghan married Prince Harry in 2018 while Nicola wed Brooklyn Beckham in 2022, with both slightly older than their husbands and actresses turned influencers. The Duchess of Sussex starred in Suits and ran a lifestyle blog before she briefly became a member of the Royal Family then stepped down two years later in 2020. Meghan has since begun a new life in California – launching TV shows, podcasts and a lifestyle business while hitting out at her old royal life with a series of barbs. As for Nicola, the daughter of a frozen food empire tycoon, she also tried to crack Hollywood but is now the face of a fashion brand and prolific on Instagram. The two women live less than 100 miles away from each other - Meghan in a $14.5million mansion in Montecito, and Nicola in a $10.5million Beverly Hills home. Meghan and Nicola are also both into social activism, with Meghan becoming a prominent campaigner on issues such as mental health and online misinformation. Nicola meanwhile has been outspoken about the difficulties facing sex workers and directed Lola, her first film last year, which was about a struggling stripper. The women also have a similar age gap to their husbands who are slightly younger than them - Meghan is 43 while Harry is 40, and Nicola is 30 while Brooklyn is 26. And while Meghan and Nicola were both used to the limelight before marriage, they have been propelled into a new stratosphere after marrying their famous husbands. Meghan starred in legal drama Suits from 2011 until 2018 and also had a small role in the 2011 movie Horrible Bosses, but was reasonably unknown outside the US Nicola had an agent from the age of 12 and appeared in films such as Deck The Halls in 2006, The Last Airbender in 2010 and Transformers: Age of Extinction in 2014, but again was relatively unknown before her relationship with Brooklyn. The women have both since been working on wellness and lifestyle ventures, with Meghan launching As Ever last month with a collection of herbal teas, flower sprinkles and luxury honey which sold out quickly. As for Nicola, she has been working as a model and is now the face of the Swedish fashion brand NA-KD. Both women are also friends with various celebrities, with Meghan close to the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Serena Williams, Mindy Kaling and the Clooneys. Nicola is friends with Sofia Richie as well as supermodels Bella and Gigi Hadid, and had a previous relationship with their brother Anwar. They also share plenty of similarities with their lavish weddings, with Meghan's costing an estimated £32million when she married Harry in a ceremony at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle in May 2018. Nicola wed Brooklyn in a £3million wedding at the Peltz family's £76million Palm Beach estate in 2022. But they both had drama relating to dresses for their weddings – with Meghan having a spat with Kate over bridesmaids' dresses which is said to have left both of them in tears. Meanwhile Victoria Beckham offered to make her future daughter-in-law's dress, but she declined and went for a Valentino design instead. And they share similarities in how they have taken on their husband's name and brand since marriage – with Meghan famously calling herself 'Meghan Sussex' during her Netflix show in March, and Nicola calling herself 'Mrs Nicola Peltz Beckham'. The woman also both have a love of dogs, with Nicola setting up Yogi's House, a foster-based rescue shelter in Los Angeles. Her dog Nala died last July after a routine trip to the groomers. Meghan is also known to love dogs, having mourned the death of her rescue beagle Guy in January and previously being a patron for the UK animal welfare charity Mayhem. Now of course, Meghan and Nicola will have plenty to talk about given the ongoing family feuds being played out very publicly. Brooklyn and Nicola failed to attend any of his father David Beckham's 50th birthday celebrations earlier this month despite being in England at the time. They are said to have fallen out with the Beckhams, although Victoria and David are said to blame Nicola for their son not attending any of the events. Brooklyn has not been pictured with siblings Romeo, 22, Cruz, 20, and Harper, 13, since Boxing Day, and failed to acknowledge Mother's Day for Victoria in March. As for Harry, he has become estranged from his family in recent years – most notably from his brother Prince William and father King Charles III - since stepping down as senior royal and moving to California. A series of barbs have followed – mostly recently in a BBC interview earlier this month when the Duke said his father will no longer speak to him. Now, sources have claimed Harry and Meghan are 'secretly supporting' Brooklyn and Nicola Peltz because of their 'similar family feuds'. The two women are said to have had a 'deep and meaningful' chat in Montecito – and Brooklyn and Nicola have received 'unwavering support' from Harry and Meghan who reportedly feel 'empathetic' towards them.
Mint
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle offer ‘unwavering support' to Brooklyn as David and Victoria Beckham clash with son
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are said to be secretly supporting Brooklyn Beckham and his wife Nicola Peltz. This is unlikely to go well with Brooklyn's parents, David and Victoria Beckham. The media now refers to Brooklyn's family feud as 'Beckxit', similar to Harry-Meghan's Megxit. The unique similarity between both couples is their family tensions. Sources say Meghan and Nicola bonded over being unfairly called 'homewreckers' in the media. Harry and Meghan recently hosted them for dinner at their Montecito home in California. The couples shared their personal struggles, according to MailOnline. Meghan reportedly had a deep conversation with Nicola and felt sympathy for her. Harry also offered support to Brooklyn. The Duke of Sussex apparently comforted the Beckham boy by identifying the pain of family problems. A source familiar with the meeting told The Sun: 'Harry and Meghan were very empathetic and very kind to them both. Harry was fully aware of the situation and offered Brooklyn his unwavering support as someone who has been through similar.' The four are said to have exchanged phone numbers and promised to stay in touch. Brooklyn and Nicola live in Los Angeles. They are believed to have enjoyed the kindness shown by the Sussexes. However, this new friendship might upset David and Victoria Beckham. The legendary footballer and his Spice Girl wife reportedly had a fallout with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle earlier over story leaks. Brooklyn Beckham has reportedly distanced himself from old UK friends and now follows his wife Nicola's LA lifestyle. This may sound like a similar story involving Prince Harry, who has left his UK home and now lives in the United States with his American wife. Brooklyn's parents, David and Victoria, are said to be upset as the couple skipped David Beckham's 50th birthday. Meanwhile, Prince Harry claims that King Charles has cut him off. Brooklyn Beckham's ongoing feud with his parents, David and Victoria, seems linked to his wife Nicola Peltz. Reports suggest Nicola feels the David Beckham family treated her badly and encouraged Brooklyn to stay away. Some friends claim that David scolds Brooklyn while Victoria pretends to make peace. Another issue is Romeo's girlfriend, Kim Turnbull, who once dated Brooklyn. Brooklyn and Nicola avoid family events if she's present, including David's birthday. Brooklyn has reportedly asked for private meetings but felt ignored. Some say the main problem began during Brooklyn and Nicola's 2022 wedding when Nicola didn't wear Victoria's design.
