Doting dad Sir David Beckham appears to have thrown some shade on eldest Brooklyn with his tribute to youngest son Cruz.
Today, the budding musician celebrates his milestone 21st birthday, leading to an outpouring of messages from his loved ones in true Beckham style.
Taking to his Instagram feed, footie legend David, 50, heaped praise on his ‘not-so-little-anymore little boy’, but in doing so, it seems he’s sent a subtle message to Brooklyn about the value of loyalty.
Earlier this year, the 26-year-old chef launched a tell-all attack on his famous family, accusing dad David and mum Victoria of ‘controlling’ him from a young age and later ‘disrespecting’ wife Nicola Peltz, 31.
He also accused the fashion designer of dancing ‘inappropriately’ on him at his wedding and claimed that his dad would only spend time with him upon his return to the UK without Nicola present.
So while Brooklyn has begun covering his tattoos dedicated to his family after declaring that he ‘doesn’t wish to reconcile’ with them, David is focusing his attention on the ones still inside the close-knit unit.
For Cruz’s birthday, he wrote alongside a montage of nostalgic clips: ‘Happy 21st birthday to my little boy , not so little anymore but the proudest thing that I am of you is the person and man that you have become’.
In what has been interpreted as a dig at Brooklyn, he continued: ‘you are kind , considerate and fiercely loyal to your family , friends and everyone around you which makes you a very special person…
‘You are on your own journey in life and you are working hard and having fun which is what life is all about…’
The retired sports star concluded: ‘We love you Cruzie and hope you have the most amazing day because you deserve to x love Dad’, also praising Victoria for ‘bringing up another special young man’.
‘I cannot handle the cuteness 😭’, Cruz’s girlfriend, Jackie Apostel, 30, commented on his post, telling him in her own bday post: ‘I beyond love you.’
Elsewhere in the comments, it didn’t take long for followers to pick up on David’s quip, with @heatherholyland calling it an ‘unnecessary comment’.
@minemendoza0411 also said it was ‘passive aggressive’ from David and @simonetta_vespucciore_ noted that it was written ‘knowing perfectly well the other son will read this too’.
However, Beckham fans also defended David, with @mag55wiz saying Cruz is ‘obviously worthy of the praise’ and @okaysure1989 commenting: ‘David is allowed to commend his son for being loyal. That is a good trait to possess.’
Brooklyn does actually appear in the video David posted in honour of Cruz, featuring in numerous childhood snaps from family holidays amid the collection of clips of Cruz proving his musical talents from an early age.
Other family posts for the 21-year-old on his special day include that of Victoria, who wrote sweetly: ‘Happy birthday @cruzbeckham…. we could not be prouder of the sweet, kind, talented young man you have become.’
‘You have worked so hard and learned your craft, the world is now your oyster. We love you so much!!!’, she added.
Model sibling Romeo, 23, also shared an Insta Story pic of him and Cruz wearing football kits as little boys, walking alongside mum Victoria in grey skinny jeans and sporting a blonde pixie cut.
‘Happy 21st lil bro ❤️❤️’, he said.
As for Brooklyn, while his family geared up to celebrate Cruz, he was making his first public appearance since his scathing statement was issued in January.
The former photographer is the proud owner of his own hot sauce brand named Cloud 23, which is actually in homage to his dad and the number he wore when he played for Real Madrid. It’s also a reference to June 23, 2020, which is when he proposed to actress Nicola.
Promoting his product, Brooklyn stepped out at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival’s Burger Bash in Miami, looking in good spirits as he chatted with the hosts and posed for photos.
The eldest Beckham child wore a slouchy pair of grey jeans and a tan cardigan, which covered up his arms following reports of him wanting to erase his inkings dedicated to David and Victoria.
He began by tattooing over a chest tattoo dedicated to Victoria last June, covering up the ‘Mama’s boy’ text with a sketch of Nicola’s wedding flowers.
Then, most recently, as per sources, Brooklyn has been attempting to laser off the ‘Dad’ etched onto his arm inside an anchor but ultimately decided to cover the letters with symbols.
This is a stark contrast to the artwork boasted by his brothers, with Romeo adding to his extensive collection earlier this month and getting ‘Family’ on the back of his neck.
David is said to have been left ‘heartbroken’ by Brooklyn’s latest move, although he has ‘no plans’ to cover any of his own tattoos, such as the ‘Brooklyn’ emblazoned across his lower back or the ‘Buster’ nickname on his neck.
In fact, it’s been claimed that, despite everything, and with Brooklyn now only in contact with his parents via lawyers, Posh and Becks would still ‘take him back in a minute’, as insiders say the thought of ‘losing’ him devastates them.
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