Victoria Beckham has refuted her estranged son Brooklyn’s claims that the family is all about “Brand Beckham”.
The budding chef, 27, claimed in a scathing statement in January that he felt “controlled by a family that values public promotion above all else” and accused his parents and siblings of endorsing “performative social media posts, family events and inauthentic relationships”.
Fashion designer Victoria, 52, has now claimed building the clan’s £500 million empire known as “Brand Beckham” wasn’t a deliberate move and insisted she is not a “pushy parent”.
She appeared on Emma Grede's podcast Aspire this week, during which Dragon Den's entrepreneur Emma asked how she decides what “remains personal” and what is part of Brand Beckham.
Victoria said: “When David and I first met it was never our intention to start a brand.
“People talk about ‘Brand Beckham’ - that has happened so organically. When I first met David, I mean he was a Brylcreem boy.”
The former Spice Girl went on: “So David was Adidas and Brylcreem and Pepsi and I was in the Spice Girls and that's where I learnt so much about how to build a brand and marketing.
“While he was doing Brylcreem and Adidas, the Spice Girls were doing Walker's crips, Pepsi, Chupa Chups lollies, deodorant.
“Do you know? True story, my mother still has a Spice Girls' pizza in her oven. That pizza's been in the freezer for thirty odd years. So when, people talk about ‘Brand Beckham’, that was never something that we even discussed.”
She said that as their success grew, they stuck to their separate projects - David working on Inter Miami, while she built up her fashion and beauty business.
“We don't have any deals together. David does what David does, I do what I do,” she said.
“That's the way it's always been. We have very different interests. I think it was the outside world that really talked about Brand Beckham, that's never really how we saw it. We're just doing what we do.”
Victoria then talked about the pressure her children must have felt growing up in the spotlight - adding that she “always tried to protect them”.
Brooklyn - who has not spoken to his family in more than a year - had said in his statement that he grew up with “overwhelming anxiety”.
Victoria said: “Our children have had a very different upbringing to myself and David and I think the world is also a very different place now then to what it was when they were younger.
“We've always tried to protect the children as much as we can, we've always been very close.
“Ultimately, we want the kids to be hard-working and kind. I've always wanted to be the best mum that I could be and look after the kids. I also feel it's been part of my job to really help them fulfill their full potential. It's never about being pushy, it's about being there to support.”
She added: “I think it's very different parenting adult children to parenting smaller children. I'm just trying to do the best that I can, you know. It's my job to make sure my kids are the best versions of themselves.”
Victoria then talked about her daughter Harper and son Cruz’s new ventures, with the 14-year-old believed to be going into Gen Z beauty and skincare and the 21-year-old paving a music career with his band The Breakers.
“When I look at Cruz, my little son, he's on tour at the moment, I said, "The most important thing is to learn your craft,” she said.
“Cruz has spent years learning play five or six different instruments, writing his own songs, putting a band together and touring small venues and doing it in a very humble way. He's incredibly talented and he's building his brand. That's just what we do.”
Victoria also revealed Harper - who joined Instagram last year - had a “really bad” battle with acne that inspired the teen to launch her own beauty brand.
