Brooklyn Beckham’s family estrangement drama shines a spotlight on the growing practice of ‘no contact’

On January 19, Brooklyn Beckham, 26, the eldest son of knighted former footballer David Beckham and Spice Girl-turned-designer Victoria Beckham posted a six-page Instagram Story outlining a list of grievances and accusations against his famous parents concerning their treatment of him and his wife, US actress Nicola Peltz Beckham.

Citing “performative social media posts”, “inauthentic relationships" and “endless attacks from my parents, both privately and publicly”, Brooklyn insisted: “I do not want to reconcile with my family. I’m not being controlled, I'm standing up for myself for the first time in my life.”

His allegations dominated news feeds, inspiring an avalanche of memes, commentary and analysis that took over the algorithms on various social media platforms and also shone a light on those who have chosen to be estranged from their families.

Brooklyn Beckham with his mother Victoria Beckham in 2004. Brooklyn grew up in the spotlight thanks to his famous parents' celebrity status. Getty Images

“Imagine growing up in the shadow of a powerful, famous, or dominant parents, your own personhood can so quickly become eclipsed,” Jan Gerber, founder of Paracelsus Recovery, tells The National. “In those cases, despite there being a lot of love and care, distance may be the only way to experience a sense of self at all.