Have you been following the public saga of the schism in the Beckham family? (If you have tried not to, I understand and apologize for raising it to your consciousness.) Brooklyn, the 26-year-old son of David and Victoria Beckham—the famous footballer and pop star, respectively—has cut ties with his parents. In a statement on social media last week, the young man explained his decision, citing interference in his marriage and an upbringing that was “performative” and “inauthentic.” “I do not want to reconcile with my family,” he said.
This very public estrangement has gotten international attention. You might think that’s because it’s so outlandish, like the O.J. Simpson murder case. But that isn’t it at all. Family estrangement is utterly commonplace. In fact, all the Beckham family spectacle shows us is that the rich and famous are as prone to this tragedy as the rest of us. That’s what makes it so compelling.
