David Beckham speaks on ‘children making mistakes’ after son Brooklyn’s posts

David Beckham addressed the importance of “allowing children to make mistakes” and the risks of social media, a day after his son Brooklyn Beckham publicly aired allegations within the family.

David appeared on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Tuesday, Jan. 20, to discuss the business of sports. The former football star reflected on social media’s influence, particularly on young people.

“I’ve always spoken about social media and the power of social media, you know, for the good and for the bad; the bad, we talked about what kids can access these days. It can be dangerous,” he said. 

The celebrity dad noted that his children — Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper, whom he shares with wife Victoria Beckham — have been encouraged to use social media responsibly while also being allowed to learn from their missteps.

“But what I’ve found personally, especially with my kids, [is to] use it for the right reasons,” he said. “I’ve tried to do the same with my children, to educate them. They make mistakes. Children are allowed to make mistakes. That’s how they learn. So that’s what I’ve tried to teach my kids. But you have to sometimes let them make those mistakes.”

David, who’s been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2005, also acknowledged that social media can help spread awareness about important issues, especially those involving children.

The remarks came shortly after Brooklyn posted a series of Instagram Stories alleging longstanding conflict with his parents. Brooklyn accused David and Victoria of undermining his relationship with his wife, Nicola Peltz.

Brooklyn claimed his parents attempted to pressure him into signing away rights to his name ahead of his 2022 wedding with Peltz. He also detailed several wedding-related disputes, and said efforts at reconciliation had been repeatedly rejected. /ra