Once upon a time, the Beckhams were a harmonious family, with unbreakable bonds and an unstoppable brand. But the plot shifted in April 2022, when reports of a feud between Victoria and Nicola Peltz, the wife of her eldest son Brooklyn, first came to light. Six months on, and despite playing nice at Victoria’s debut fashion show in Paris last month, we’ve been told things are still frosty – and Posh has enlisted the help of a family mediator to put the spat to bed once and for all.
heat’s source reveals that the mum of four is desperate to get Brooklyn, 23 – who uprooted his life in the UK to live with actress Nicola, 27, in America – back on side, saying, “Vic has been speaking to a mediator who specialises in resolving conflict between family members, usually when there is a lawsuit involved. She’s fed up with there being this cold war between her and Nicola, and wants to have someone in the middle who can pinpoint what the main issues are and see if they gain a new understanding of one another.
“She’s found someone who has dealt with big A-list divorces and family fallouts – someone who is used to being in a room with two giant egos and can placate some of the nastiest rows in Hollywood. Vic just feels it is time they get a bit of expert help and gain a fresh perspective on what is really at the root of their falling out.”
Rumours of a rift have circulated ever since Brooklyn and Nicola tied the knot at her family’s £79m estate in Palm Beach, Florida, in April, with the American actress claiming in a recent interview that Victoria, 48, blanked her when it came to designing her wedding dress. Nicola said, “We connected to start designing the dress, and then a few days went by and I didn’t hear anything. Victoria then called my mum and said her atelier couldn’t make it.”
Brooklyn has always been his wife’s biggest supporter, calling her his “first priority” and saying he “never wants to see her upset”, but reports have suggested that his dad David, 47, read him the riot act following Nicola’s interview, and allegedly told him that they are “done with the drama”.
And at Victoria’s fashion show last month, it appeared that bridges were being rebuilt when Brooklyn and Nicola joined the rest of the family – including his siblings Romeo, 20, Cruz, 17, and 11-year-old Harper Seven – in celebrating the designer’s milestone on the runway. Months of social media silence between the mother- and-daughter-in-law was broken shortly after the show, with smiley family photographs and congratulatory messages.
Vic’s fashion friends Anna Wintour and Edward Enninful were also a part of October’s all-smiles family reunion, but heat’s insiders say Vic is concerned they might turn her back on her if the issues with her daughter-in-law rage on. “Vic is worried that the rift is turning off some of her high-end pals in the fashion industry, particularly Anna Wintour, which is why she is taking action. Anna has championed the Beckham family in Vogue, and Vic doesn’t want to run the risk of falling out of favour with her or that crowd.”
Victoria has cemented herself as an icon in the world of fashion, having launched her own line in 2008, and secured coveted Vogue covers all around the world: Britain, India, Paris, Germany, Russia, Australia, Turkey, Taiwan, China and Spain. But it’s the American cover that she really wants to keep within reach. Our source continues, “She still wants to be considered for the cover of American Vogue every now and then, and she has been worried that if this family row drags on, the family will be considered more like the Osbournes at the height of their reality fame, rowing on MTV, rather than a sophisticated family. Everyone agrees the feud looks messy, and Vic should be the one to try and clean it all up, because it seems as though Nicola has no interest in doing it.”
Sometimes it’s a case of who you know, not what you know, and as heat has revealed, Posh has often whipped out her invaluable contacts book to put in a favour or two for her family, particularly Brooklyn and Nicola, who she once deemed to be the next generation of Brand Beckham. Our insiders explained at the time, “She helped them set up an international platform, putting her publicity people on the job and using her friendship with Anna to get them the Vogue cover for their wedding. Vic has spent a lifetime building up the Beckham brand, she won’t let that be ruined.”
Last week, Posh released a six-piece range with Mia Regan, 19 – Romeo’s ex-girlfriend, who he dated for three years and split from earlier this year. The collaboration was in the works before the young couple decided to part ways – as confirmed by Mia on Instagram – but it clearly hasn’t put a creative spanner in the works, with Romeo’s ex writing on social media, “My first ever design collab with the amazing Victoria Beckham!!! So so exciting, over a year in the making and lots of learning.” The denim collection is described as “’70s-meets-’90s inspired”, where a pair of classic blue wash jeans would set you back almost £500.
Perhaps if Nicola and Posh had remained as close as they seemed to be at the beginning of their relationship, Posh might have gotten Nicola her own capsule collection for her fashion line. But Victoria’s priorities are clear: continue to take Brand Beckham to new heights and repair the damage the feud has done. “Vic has been stubborn up until now, but she’s getting tired of it, and the fact that people are saying it could cheapen their brand has made her realise she needs to take matters into her own hands,” says our source. “She has to be the one control in control and that means her being the one who has to smooth everything out.”