Beckhams sent legal request from Brooklyn

Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, the eldest son of David and Victoria, is reported to have served his parents with a legal letter, requesting them not to contact him directly.

The Sun reported that the letter from London law firm Schillings was sent last year to the Beckhams’ solicitors, Harbottle and Lewis, and it is thought to have instructed them not to interact with their son’s social media accounts, by tagging his photos or liking his posts.

The action by the 26-year-old aspiring chef and his wife, American actor Nicola Peltz, is thought to have prompted the most recent public evidence of the depth of a rift between the two couples. It emerged this weekend that Brooklyn blocked his parents from following him online last month after his mother publicly “liked” a video he had shared of a roast chicken he had cooked, so breaching the terms of the arrangement he had hoped to set up.

Nicola, who was 31 on Friday, has also blocked her in-laws on social media. She and Brooklyn are said to believe that their earlier requests for a private reconciliation process have been ignored.

The family’s problems are reportedly rooted in Peltz’s decision not to wear a wedding dress designed for her by her mother-in-law-to-be.

On New Year’s Eve, the former footballer was criticised on social media for having apparently snubbed Brooklyn by leaving his son out of a review of his year. It now seems he may have avoided mentioning him to comply with his son’s legally-drafted request.

Famous families can find it particularly hard to heal estrangements because of the inevitable level of public scrutiny. In the case of the Beckhams, consistent and curated access to their domestic life has also been a key part of establishing their joint commercial brand.

Recent attempts to enhance the family’s image through the release of a co-produced documentary about their home life and personal relationship in 2023, in addition to sanctioned promotional coverage of Victoria’s Paris fashion collection and David’s knighthood, have been undermined this winter by widespread speculation about the continuing feud with their eldest child.

Photograph by Dave Benett/Getty Images for Burberry