England football legend David Beckham on Tuesday issued his first statement after son Brooklyn accused him and wife Victoria of trying to sabotage his relationship with wife Nicola Peltz Beckham. Speaking about the misuse of social media at the World Economic Forum in Davos, David remarked: “Children make mistakes.”

Speaking to CNBC, David said: “They make mistakes. Children are allowed to make mistakes — that is how they learn. That’s what I try to teach my kids. But sometimes you also have to let them make those mistakes.”

After months of speculation surrounding a rift with his parents, Brooklyn broke his silence on Instagram earlier this week, saying he was “standing up for myself for the first time in my life.” The 26-year-old accused his parents of spreading “countless lies” and trying “endlessly to ruin” his relationship with Nicola as part of what he described as a publicity stunt.

Brooklyn further claimed that he has no intention of reconciling with his family and alleged that his parents attempted to “bribe” him into “signing away the rights” to his name ahead of his wedding.

“For my entire life, my parents have controlled narratives in the press about our family,” Brooklyn wrote. “Performative social media posts, staged family events and inauthentic relationships have been a fixture of the life I was born into.”

The former photographer, who married model and heiress Nicola Peltz in April 2022, also alleged that Victoria had “cancelled making Nicola’s dress” at the “eleventh hour” and later “hijacked” the couple’s first dance at the wedding.

“She danced very inappropriately on me in front of everybody. I’ve never felt more uncomfortable or humiliated in my entire life,” Brooklyn claimed.

Brooklyn and Nicola were also notably absent from David’s 50th birthday celebration in May last year. While reports suggested they had been invited, Brooklyn later said the couple had stayed in their London hotel attempting to spend time with his father, but were told he would only meet them at the party — and only if Nicola did not attend.