Brooklyn Beckham could risk irreversible damage and ‘permanent estrangement’ from his wider family after he missed his brother Cruz’s 21st birthday celebrations
As Cruz Beckham turns 21, it marks a milestone moment — one that should centre on family, reflection and togetherness — but instead throws fresh light on an increasingly visible divide.
The Beckham family gathered to honour the occasion early last weekend, yet the spotlight has once again shifted to the growing distance between their eldest son, Brooklyn Beckham, and the rest of the famously close-knit clan.
The widening rift has played out not only at key family events, but increasingly in subtle public signals. On the day after Cruz’s birthday festivities, Brooklyn, 26, was seen out in LA with his wife, Nicola Peltz, 31, to celebrate Valentine’s Day; a move that raised eyebrows given his absence from family gatherings.
Observers also noted he was still wearing the extremely expensive Patek Philippe watch his father, David Beckham, gifted him for his 21st birthday — despite having removed the anchor tattoo on his arm that had been dedicated to his dad.
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In another telling development, Brooklyn and his siblings have unfollowed one another on social media, further fuelling speculation that tensions remain unresolved, despite Cruz previously sharing childhood photos of himself and his brothers, as well as a shot of the four children in beekeeping outfits.
Cruz, the youngest son of David and Victoria Beckham, marked his birthday with a star-studded party at The MAINE Mayfair. Attendees included Cruz’s girlfriend, Jackie Apostel, Romeo Beckham and his girlfriend, Kim Turnbull, Harper Beckham, and Victoria’s longtime friend, Emma Bunton.
The evening, themed The Grand Beatles Ball, featured a Beatles tribute band and saw Cruz perform alongside his new band, Cruz Beckham & The Breakers.
Photos shared by Victoria and Apostel on Instagram captured Cruz kissing Apostel on the cheek, dancing with family and friends, and performing on stage — a night clearly designed to honour the birthday boy.
“Celebrating Cruz early!! We love you so much!!! @cruzbeckham,” Victoria wrote in an Instagram post on Monday, Feb. 16, alongside family photos and a Spice Girls reunion with Emma Bunton.
Yet amid the celebration, one seat at the party went notably empty. Brooklyn and his wife were absent, highlighting the ongoing tension between him and his parents.
Most recently, Brooklyn addressed the estrangement in a lengthy Instagram statement on Jan. 19, denying claims that Nicola controls him and instead alleging he had felt controlled by his parents for much of his life.
He said stepping away had eased years of anxiety and allowed him and his wife to prioritise “peace, privacy and happiness,” while accusing his parents of repeatedly undermining their relationship and speaking to the press. Insisting he does not want reconciliation, he maintained he is “standing up for myself for the first time.”
Insiders say that David and Victoria have repeatedly asked Brooklyn and Nicola to meet and talk to move forward. “David loves his kids. They are his everything.”
Though another source close to Brooklyn disputes any continued outreach. The contrast between Cruz’s milestone celebration and Brooklyn’s absence underscores the widening rift in the Beckham family.
Psychologists warn that when estrangement spans birthdays, weddings, and other significant life events, it often becomes permanent rather than temporary. Therapist Zoe Clews explains that milestone events carry enormous emotional weight.
“Milestone events are typically key moments where families and extended families gather to strengthen bonds and form lifelong memories,” she says, “While it is easy for those on the outside to judge a family’s relationship and question why a family member may be absent, these situations often point to a deeper reality.”
Clews adds that many people struggle with the long-held belief that family bonds should take precedence over everything else. “This frequently comes down to the persistent myth that ‘blood is thicker than water,’” she explains.
“In cases where dynamics have become unbearable, the wisest and kindest thing an individual can do for their psychological well-being is to distance themselves from their biological family and choose to build a new support system. Prioritising peace over traditional expectations is often a necessary step in the long-term emotional recovery.”
Brooklyn has already missed a string of family milestones: his father’s long-anticipated knighthood, a family trip to Paris, his childhood friend Holly Ramsay’s wedding, and now Cruz’s 21st birthday.
Each absence may appear small in isolation, but together they paint a picture of a relationship quietly fraying over time. Brooklyn himself will turn 27 on March 4, a birthday he may again mark away from the family he once appeared inseparable from. The following month, he will celebrate his fourth wedding anniversary to Nicola.
Experts describe this as a “milestone erosion” — the gradual breakdown of family bonds through repeated missed moments. “In my experience, people rarely choose to separate from their families without having endured significant pain,” Clews explains. “Because it is such a seemingly unnatural step, individuals often feel they are left with no other choice.”
Unlike dramatic fallouts, this form of estrangement quietly starves relationships, event by event, until the shared life one was meant to have has already happened without them.
Hollywood is littered with examples of celebrity children who drifted from their parents — only for both sides to later speak openly about the pain. Actor Michael Douglas spent years estranged from his son Cameron Douglas during Cameron’s struggles with addiction and imprisonment. Douglas has described that period as “excruciating,” admitting he feared he would lose his son before they ever repaired their relationship.
Then there’s Angelina Jolie and her father Jon Voight, whose public estrangement dominated headlines for years. More recently, the fractured relationship between Meghan Markle and her father Thomas Markle has become one of the most visible family rifts of modern times.
In every case, the same pattern emerges: the distance grows quietly, regret arrives loudly, and by the time healing happens — if it happens at all — the damage is already done.
Clews notes that while reconciliation is sometimes possible, it often requires space first. “Sometimes a period of distance can allow triggers to lessen and wounds to heal, eventually making reconciliation possible,” she says. “I sincerely hope they can work through their differences.”
For Brooklyn, warning signs are already clear. He has distanced himself from family celebrations, missed major honours for his father, missed weddings, and now remains absent from Cruz’s landmark birthday.
If nothing changes, he risks missing future milestones too — Romeo carving out his career, Cruz stepping fully into adulthood, Harper’s formative years, and the quieter seasons of life when family time matters most.
A 21st birthday should be a celebration of family, growth, and togetherness. Instead, for the Beckhams, Cruz’s milestone serves as a stark reminder of what may be slipping away. The party itself, filled with music, dancing, and laughter, highlights what Brooklyn is missing: the simple joy of shared family moments.
Estrangement does not arrive in one dramatic moment. It comes quietly. Through missed trips and weddings. Empty chairs at birthday dinners. And one day, when the noise of youth fades, what remains is a simple, devastating realisation: the life you were meant to share has already happened without you.
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