David and Victoria Beckham have had their fair share of ups and downs over their 25-year marriage. The couple tied the knot in a lavish £750,000 ceremony on July 4, 1999, celebrating their silver wedding anniversary last year.
The glam event saw 230 guests, including celebs like Victoria’s Spice Girls bandmates and David’s Manchester United teammates, descend on an Irish venue that reportedly cost nearly £ 1 million. And despite many thinking the marriage wouldn’t last, Posh and Becks have gone on to build a £455million fortune while parenting their four children—Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz, and Harper.
But it certainly hasn’t been smooth sailing for the power couple, with affair rumours and fall-outs making headlines throughout the years. As the couple celebrate David’s new Hugo Boss campaign, we take a look back at their turbulent relationship.
Cross-country move
The Beckhams uprooted their lives in 2003 after David signed a four-year contract with Real Madrid. David admitted in their 2023 Netflix series BECKHAM that Victoria “wasn’t too happy” about the news.
The fashion designer said Spanish football fans perceived her as the “villain” because she didn’t move with David immediately, despite having two young children and being determined to find suitable schools for them before making the big move. The couple lived separate lives for a while as David relocated to Spain.
Detailing the moment David shared the news of their relocation in the documentary’s third episode, Victoria said she replied: “What do you mean we’re going to Spain?” Victoria added: “I was like, what do you mean? We don’t have anywhere to live, and we don’t have schools for the children. What do you mean? But the reality is that we moved to Spain.”
When asked about the move, Victoria said it was “less than ideal.” David scored on his home debut against Mallorca and won the Spanish Super Cup, kickstarting a four-year stint at the club.
Affair rumours
Affair claims hit the couple hard in 2004 when David’s personal assistant sold her story to News of the World that she had formed a relationship with the footballer in 2003. In her first TV interview after the story broke, Rebecca Loos told Sky News’ Kay Burley about a group dinner where she and the football star hit it off.
“The chemistry between David and I was so strong that everyone was aware and people weren’t happy, obviously, because I was being very unprofessional and he’s a married man,” she said. “He just kept looking at me and then it dawned on me what he’d asked me – and I did want to go back with him.”
On one occasion when she alleged they slept together she said she felt “used”, but said she went back to him because “there were still feelings there.” She added that she “adores” the footballer.
Opening up about the allegations in the Netflix documentary, Victoria said it was a “nightmare”. David has always denied the affair claims.
Near misses
Victoria and David’s third baby was born on February 20, 2005. With the couple still living in Spain, Posh gave birth to Cruz Beckham at the Hospital Ruber Internacional in Madrid.
Victoria revealed David almost missed the birth in their Netflix documentary, despite having a scheduled C-section appointment. He said he had a Pepsi advertisement deal shoot with Beyoncé and JLo – even though Victoria claims she told him the date before his plans.
The former Spice Girl said, “What do you mean, a shoot?” David told her: “Yeah, I’ve got to do a shoot with Jennifer Lopez and Beyoncé.”
Victoria responded, “I was like, ‘Are you.. ‘Seriously, I’m about to burst, I’m on bed rest. Are you kidding me? You’ve got a damn photoshoot with Jennifer Lopez, who is gorgeous and not about to have a baby.”
Divorce rumours
Rumours began swirling that the Beckhams were going to announce their split in June 2018. However, a spokesperson for the couple called the rumours “fake social media news”.
They said: “This is all very bizarre and an embarrassing waste of time. There is no statement due, no divorce, and a lot of Chinese whispers and fake social media news.” Victoria then set the record straight with an Instagram post gushing over her husband.
Documentary woes
The couple’s Netflix documentary launched in October 2023, offering fans a detailed look into the lives of the famous duo. David admitted he didn’t like the show at first, saying during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live: “I planned to watch it one morning, just myself with a big screen and just to write notes. That morning, I really didn’t like it. I didn’t enjoy watching it.”
But his mind changed after watching it with his wife in bed. “We sat in bed with an iPad and watched two hours of rough edit. We got to the end of it and we looked at each other and we were so emotional.
“We laughed, we cried, we were tired because we’d done so much in that 27 years. That really was the moment when I fell in love with the documentary because I knew she loved it, and that meant more to me.”
Family feud claims
Rumours started in 2023 that Victoria Beckham had been feuding with her eldest son, Brooklyn after he married model Nicola Peltz. The supposed fall out came when she married Brooklyn back in April 2021 wearing a couture Valentino dress – but the initial plan was for her to wear a specially-made gown designed by Victoria.
Commenting on the dress rumours, Nicola previously clarified to Variety: “I was going to [wear Victoria Beckham] and I really wanted to, and then a few months down the line, she realised that her atelier couldn’t do it, so then I had to pick another dress. She didn’t say you can’t wear it; I didn’t say I didn’t want to wear it. That’s where it started, and then they ran with that.”
In the same interview, husband Brooklyn added: “I’ve learned they’re always going to try to write stuff like that. They’re always going to try and put people down. But everyone gets along, which is good.”
On both sides the family have always denied a feud, with Nicola telling Cosmopolitan in 2023: “I’ve said this so many times: There’s no feud. I don’t know. No one ever wants to write the nice things. It’s really weird, actually, whether it’s my life or someone else’s life or whatever, when you know the truth and then you read something totally wrong.”
