David Beckham dodges questions about Brooklyn in first appearance since son’s comments

David Beckham has made his first public appearance since his son Brooklyn Beckham took to Instagram to slam his parents, accusing them of trying to sabotage his and wife Nicola Peltz Beckham’s relationship.

On Tuesday, January 20, David, 50, attended the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, where he was pictured smiling for the camera and speaking at the podcast booth during the conference, which was held under this year’s theme, “The Spirit of Dialogue.”

The former soccer star also dodged questions about his relationship with his son, 26, at the event. Asked by Sky News about Brooklyn’s statement, David smiled as he walked through the event and did not comment on the situation.

In footage shared by the outlet, a reporter can be seen asking the father of four, “David, do you have a message for Brooklyn this morning?”

This was followed by, “David, are you disappointed that your family’s business is being broadcast in public?”

The annual forum brings “world leaders from government, business, civil society and academia” to “gather in Davos to engage in positive discussions to address global issues and set priorities,” according to the website.

David’s arrival comes after his eldest son Brooklyn broke his silence with a series of posts on his Instagram Stories after months of speculation about a rift between his wife Nicola, 31, and David and Victoria Beckham, 51.

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“I have been silent for years and have made every effort to keep these things secret. Unfortunately, my parents and their team continued to appear in the press and I had no choice but to speak for myself and only tell the truth about some of the lies that were printed,” Brooklyn wrote.

“I don’t want to reconcile with my family. I’m not being controlled. I’m standing up for myself for the first time in my life,” he added.

Brooklyn went on to talk about several moments where his family tried to sabotage his and Nicola’s relationship, including their 2022 Palm Beach wedding and David’s 50th birthday last year.

The post comes after months of tension within the Beckham extended family, including claims of being blocked on social media and the Peltz-Beckham couple’s conspicuous absence from family holidays and events.

According to Brooklyn, attending these types of events is a top priority for the family, who “value publicity and support above all else…Brand Beckham comes first. A family’s ‘love’ is determined by how much they post on social media, or how quickly they drop everything and show up and take a family photo.”

In multiple posts, Brooklyn claimed that his mother not only “hijacked” his first dance with wife Nicola at their wedding, but also danced with him “very inappropriately.”

“My mom hijacked my first dance with my wife, which had been planned for weeks to a romantic love song,” Brooklyn wrote. “Marc Anthony called me on stage in front of 500 wedding guests. The schedule was for a romantic dance with my wife, but instead I waited for my mom to dance with me.”

“She danced on me very inappropriately in front of everyone,” he continued, adding, “I have never felt so uncomfortable or humiliated in my life.”

“We wanted to renew our vows so we could create new memories of a wedding that brought joy and happiness, rather than anxiety and shame,” Brooklyn wrote, referring to the couple’s vow renewal in August 2025, more than three years after they first married in Palm Beach in April 2022.

Afterwards, a source close to the situation told PEOPLE that Brooklyn and Nicola “never wanted this to happen.”

“They just wanted to live a quiet life and get married, but after reading enough of the relentlessly inaccurate reporting about Nicola, one member of the family got fed up and tried to set the record straight last year,” a source said.

“The Beckhams then had plenty of time to make amends and try to repair the damage, but instead they keep pushing these false stories and Brooklyn and Nicola are just fed up with it. Brooklyn knew her truth and was ready to tell it,” the source added.

Last May, a source told PEOPLE that Brooklyn’s relationship with her parents is “definitely not beyond repair.” “They love[Brooklyn]and will always be there for him. They are just hurt and disappointed that he doesn’t play any role in their family life.”

As the family rift continues, a source familiar with the situation told PEOPLE earlier this month, “David and Victoria have repeatedly asked Brooklyn and Nicola to meet and talk in order to move forward.”

“David loves his kids,” she continued, referring to the Brooklyn couple, David and Victoria’s second sons Romeo, 23, and Cruz, 20, and daughter Harper, 14. “They are everything to him.”

Representatives for David and Victoria did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on January 19th.