THE BECKHAMS
Victoria explains why she and David never gave up.
Victoria and David Beckham must have lost count of the number of times they’ve been rumoured to be on the brink of divorce throughout their almost 19-year marriage— a story that reared its head again earlier this month. Now, Victoria, 44, has gone on the record, revealing the truth about their relationship.
On June 19, the businesswoman and mother of four spoke out about her relationship in a talk to the Forbes Women’s Summit in New York, saying, “I try really, really hard. I try hardest to be the best mother. I am trying to be the best wife and the best professional. When I get home I try to put the
phone down and spend time with the children and spend time with David.”
She went on to praise David, 43, for his role in making their family work.
“I have the support of an incredible husband,” Victoria said. “We really are equal with everything we do at home with the children. When I’m away he’s the one doing the school run and doing the cooking.”
A source confirms how committed the couple are, telling WHO, “Over the years, Victoria has fought hard for her marriage, and for David. She never gave up when someone else might have.”
Since they wed in 1999, the pop starturned-fashion designer and former footballer have fended off one report of their impending split after another, with the latest coming in early June. Social media exploded with rumours they were set to file for divorce following an alleged affair David had with a teacher at Harper’s school that resulted in the teacher falling pregnant.
In response to those most recent stories, a rep for the couple told WHO, “What nonsense. Journalist Chinese whispers and fake news fuelled by social media. There is no impending statement, no divorce!”
A well-timed Instagram post from Victoria also served to quash the claims as she sent David a photo of her and their 6-year-old daughter, Harper, with the message, “Morning cuddles x So much love. We love and miss u @davidbeckham,” on June 8.
Although not addressing the reports directly—“i have never listened to, or commented on, the rumours about any aspect of my life,” Victoria told British Grazia in 2015—her recent comments come at a time when focus has again shifted to the status of her marriage. But despite all the gossip and innuendo, she and David have always confirmed their love for one another.
“I am blessed to have a wonderful husband and beautiful, healthy, happy children,” Victoria told Grazia. “We travel a lot ... but we always make time for each other as a couple and as a family. David and I have nothing to prove. We love each other, look out for each other and are strong as both partners and parents.”
In 2015, she also explained the secret of their successful marriage to WHO, saying, “He likes things done a certain way, which is great because I leave a mess everywhere I go. That’s why we are good partners. I leave a mess and he tidies it up.”
And in 2017, David revealed the couple had renewed their wedding vows, telling BBC Radio 4 show Desert Island Discs, “We’re a strong family unit ... We were brought up with the right values. Of course you make mistakes over the years, and we all know marriage is difficult at times. It’s about working through it.”
Working hard—whether at their marriage or careers—is clearly important to the Beckhams, and it’s a trait they have tried to instil in their daughter, Harper, and their sons, Cruz, 13, Romeo, 15, and Brooklyn, 19.
“I have the support of an incredible husband” —Victoria Beckham
“It’s never been an option not to work hard,” Victoria told British newspaper the Evening Standard in 2017. “They see Mummy go to work, they see Daddy go to work, and they go to school and they have to work.”
Another thing the couple have always demonstrated to their children is a united front, even in the face of the most confronting speculation about their marriage. Whether it’s public appearances together, like their attendance of the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in May, or a consistent message in their public statements, Victoria and David are very much on the same page.
“We know each other better than anybody,” David said in his Desert Island Discs interview. “People have talked about, ‘Do we stay together because it’s a brand?’ Of course not. We stay together because we love each other, because we have four amazing children. Do you go through tough times? Of course. That’s part of relationships. It’s part of marriages. It’s part of having children. It’s part of having responsibilities.”