All About The Affair Rumors That Have Plagued David And Victoria Beckham's Marriage
The Beckhams are one of the most iconic and celebrated celebrity couples. They need no introduction, but in case you've been living under a rock, here it is: David Beckham is a legendary soccer player who played for Manchester United, Real Madrid, and LA Galaxy, and his mesmerizing skills inspired the name of the 2002 film "Bend It Like Beckham." Victoria Beckham, known as "Posh Spice" of the British pop group, "The Spice Girls," is also a fashion designer and founder of the beauty brand Victoria Beckham Beauty. The couple got married in 1999 and have four children together: Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz, and Harper.
It was love at first sight for Victoria and David, who grew up 15 minutes away from each other but only met years later at a match. Speaking about the first time he saw the Spice Girls on TV, David said on "Ellen," "I remember turning around — before I'd even met Victoria — and said, 'I want to marry that one.'" Vogue published a letter Victoria penned to her 18-year-old self, telling her that love at first sight does exist. "It will happen to you in the Manchester United players' lounge," she wrote. "Although you will get a little drunk, so exact details are hazy."
Despite their fairy tale romance, the Beckhams have been plagued by cheating allegations for decades. From the infamous Rebecca Loos scandal that dominated headlines, to lesser-known alleged affairs, we've broken down everything you need to know about the Beckham affair rumors.
David was accused of kissing another woman
Over the years we've watched Victoria Beckham's transformation from pop star to mother, business mogul, and advocate, but she's had a lot to overcome, like several cheating allegations. The first one occurred before the Beckhams were married. David was accused of kissing another woman while Victoria was on tour with the Spice Girls and pregnant with their first child, Brooklyn.
Victoria opened up about the allegations in her autobiography "Learning to Fly," revealing that David called her immediately to inform her of the rumors that were circulating. According to Victoria, the next time she saw him she was so angry, she swung at him. "I hadn't planned it. I hadn't punched anybody before. Just instinct," she wrote in the 2001 memoir (via The Mirror). "I just felt angry and hurt."
David denied the allegations and professed his innocence, so the couple flew to Lake Como to work on their relationship. Victoria added that it was a dark time for the couple, with both she and David having suicidal thoughts. Victoria ultimately chose to believe David, and the two got married in a lavish ceremony near Dublin, just four months after Brooklyn was born in 1999.
The Rebecca Loos scandal broke
In 2004, David Beckham was accused of having an affair with his personal assistant, Rebecca Loos. This scandal broke five years into the Beckhams' marriage, while they were living in Spain, and it dominated headlines everywhere. The story was first published by U.K. newspaper News of the World, and shortly after Loos gave a tell-all interview on Sky News.
"There was an obvious attraction. We spent a lot of time together. We just bonded," she told host Katy Burley (via The Daily Mail). She claimed they first slept together on September 18, after a group dinner with friends. They allegedly all ended up at a club before David suggested they ditch the group and head back to his hotel. From that night on, she alleged they texted around 30 times a day and often engaged in "text sex." Loos claimed they slept together a total of six times, and shared intimate details about their sex life. "He knows what you want and he gives it to you and it is all about you, not so much about him, so you know that's nice," she said. "We couldn't keep our hands off each other," she later added.
When asked about Victoria and the Beckhams' marriage, Loos said: "I think the problems were in their marriage long before I came into the picture. I in no way intended to break up their marriage especially when there are young children involved. I hope they stay together."
David Beckham denied the Rebecca Loos allegations
Following the numerous newspaper interviews and TV appearances given by Rebecca Loos, David Beckham released a statement vehemently denying the allegations. "During the past few months I have become accustomed to reading more and more ludicrous stories about my private life. What appeared this morning is just one further example. The simple truth is that I am very happily married. I have a wonderful wife and two very special kids. There is nothing any third party can do to change these facts," he said (via The Mirror).
Loos stuck to her story, claiming she had evidence to prove the veracity of her claims. "There is something I know about him, an intimate part of his body that I think only women who've been in bed with him would know," she said (via Insider). "So I think if they did want to take me to court, I could easily stand up and say, 'Well ... '"
In 2013, almost a decade after she went public, Loos admitted that she regrets the way she handled it. "I'm a mother now and married, and knowing what I know now I would definitely have gone about things quite differently," she said (via Metro). "I was young and foolish and very reckless. I didn't think things through and acted on impulse a lot. I think I regret the impact on everybody. I think I could have gone about it in a kinder way."
Sarah Marbeck alleged she also had an affair with David Beckham
Hot off the heels of the Rebecca Loos scandal, a Malaysian-born model named Sarah Marbeck claimed she also had an affair with David Beckham. According to Marbeck, she met Beckham in Singapore in July 2001 during his preseason tour with Manchester United. She claimed the two exchanged sexually suggestive text messages for about a year and slept together twice; first in a hotel room in Singapore, and later in Leeds, England.
Her lawyer Michael Brereton released a statement on her behalf. "The reason I decided to go public with details of my relationship with David Beckham is because for two years my life was on hold while I waited for him," she said (via The Sydney Morning Herald). "He said he loved me and I slept with the phone by my bed waiting for it to ring." She decided to come forward when she realized things were over.
David slammed the claims as "absurd and unsubstantiated" while his wife Victoria reportedly told The Sun, "We have been through a lot worse than this, and we're definitely going to get through this" (via E! News).
Dannielle Heath came forward with her story
In 2004, salon owner Dannielle Heath added to the mounting cheating allegations against David Beckham. Heath claimed she met the Beckhams after giving Victoria a spray tan at her salon. While Victoria was away in Peru, Heath claims she was invited to David's Madrid mansion for a private appointment. The two allegedly ended up alone but were interrupted by staff before they could sleep together.
"David was very affectionate. He loved to kiss and cuddle me and loved it when I did the same to him. It was like he was starved of affection," she said (via The Daily Mail). Victoria was pregnant with their third child, Cruz, at the time.
The Beckhams issued a statement denying the allegations: "We are sick and tired of people trying to make money out of our family. It is even more distressing when we are expecting our third child soon. The allegations are completely and totally untrue and the matters are now in the hands of our lawyers" (via Stylecaster).
Sex worker Irma Nici accused David Beckham of paying her for sex
In 2010, Bosnian sex worker Irma Nici sold a story to In Touch Magazine, alleging she was paid thousands of dollars for sleeping with David Beckham multiple times. At the time, the Beckahms were living in the United States and David was playing for LA Galaxy. "It was a high," Nici told In Touch (via HuffPost). "All of these women dream of being with him, and I got to hook up with him. It was very exciting."
The Beckhams denied the allegations and threatened legal action against both Nici and In Touch magazine for libel and slander. "I have never met Nici, let alone committed adultery with Nici or paid for sex. Irma Nici's statements have caused me and my family great anguish and emotional distress, and have adversely affected both my personal and professional life," said David at the time (via Daily Record).
David was eventually able to prove his innocence by showing that he was actually visiting his sick father in the hospital during the time Nici claimed they were at a hotel together. However, due to free speech laws in the U.S., his case to sue In Touch Magazine was thrown out by an LA court.
Victoria Beckham discussed the allegations in an interview
In 2007, Victoria Beckham sat down with W Magazine to discuss how the affair allegations affected her. "I'm not going to lie. It was a really tough time. It was hard for our entire families. But I realized a lot of people have a price," she said.
Victoria decided to stand by her husband, and the couple leaned on each other during the difficult time. It doesn't help that all of this drama played out in the public eye. Allegations like this can put an enormous strain on a marriage, but Victoria said the obstacles have only made their relationship stronger.
"David and I got through it together. No one said marriage was going to be easy," she continued. "Yes, there have been bumps along the road. But the fact is we've come out of everything we've been through stronger and happier. It's even better now than when we were first married. After all these years, we can just come home and have a laugh together."
Rumors circulated that David Beckham cheated with Katherine Jenkins
In 2012, rumors began circulating on social media that David Beckham had been cheating on Victoria Beckham yet again — this time with Welsh opera singer Katherine Jenkins. Jenkins was quick to deny the allegations and took to X (formerly Twitter) to squash the rumors.
"The rumours are very hurtful, untrue & my lawyers tell me actionable. I've only met David twice: once at the Military Awards in 2010 & on a night out in the West End in Feb 2012. We were out in a group of friends & it was just a normal fun evening out. Just so we are clear I have never been on my own with him and never arranged to meet up," she wrote (via ABC News).
While Jenkins was merely setting the record straight, she was criticized for giving the rumors more attention. It was also reported that Victoria Beckham was not happy with her tweet. However, Jenkins doesn't regret her actions. "I found myself in a situation where I had to say something," she told The Mirror. "It was a bad week. You know what, I'm okay now, but I really felt like I had to stand up for myself and I had to put it right."
David Beckham spoke about the allegations in the Beckham documentary
In October 2023, the Netflix documentary "Beckham" debuted, which gave fans an in-depth look at one of the most famous celebrity couples in the world. Between the lighthearted jokes and heartwarming family moments, viewers were given a glimpse at the toll the cheating allegations took on the Beckham family.
"There was some horrible stories which were difficult to deal with," he said. "It was the first time that me and Victoria had been put under that kind of pressure in our marriage." Beckham admitted it made him feel physically sick every day. "There were some days that I would wake up and think, 'How am I going to go to work? How am I going to walk onto that training pitch? How am I going to look as if nothing's wrong?'" he said.
It was incredibly hard for them to handle. "Every time that we woke up we felt there was something else ... we both felt at the time that we were not losing each other but drowning," he said. When asked how the family coped, he said: "I don't know how we got through it, in all honesty. Victoria is everything to me, to see her hurt was incredibly difficult, but we're fighters and at that time we needed to fight for each other, we needed to fight for our family."
Victoria Beckham said it was the unhappiest time in her life
In the "Beckham" documentary, Victoria discussed the impact the allegations had on her marriage. "It was the hardest period for us. Because it felt like the world was against us. And here's the thing — we were against each other, if I'm being completely honest," she said. She noted that once they moved to Spain, she felt a shift in their marriage. "It didn't really feel like we had each other either. And that's sad. I can't even begin to tell you how hard it was. And how it affected me."
According to Victoria, the press made it even more difficult. "It was a nightmare. From the minute we opened the door in the morning, the press were there, in cars, and everywhere we went, we would get followed," she said. The paparazzi would gather at Brooklyn's school and also yell vile things at her son, with whom she has a very close relationship.
"It was an absolute circus — it's really entertaining when the circus comes to town, right? Unless you're in it," she said. Victoria admitted that she resented her husband during that time. "It was probably, if I'm being honest, the most unhappy I have ever been in my life," she said. "It wasn't that I felt unheard because I chose to internalize a lot of it because I was always mindful of a focus that he needed."
Rebecca Loos received backlash after the documentary aired
After the "Beckham" documentary debuted, Rebecca Loos' Instagram page was flooded with negative comments from Beckham fans. However, she's also been receiving messages of support, with many users quick to point out the sexism of vilifying women while giving grace to men.
"Why is the other woman always subjected to such hate? Why not the married man? Bet there's no nasty comments on his Insta page!" commented one user. When another user labeled the hateful comments as disgusting, Loos replied, "Thank you. Am taking in the nasty comments with as much humor as I can."
Shortly after the documentary aired on Netflix, Loos posted a picture on her Instagram Stories, writing: "A part of me wants to continue keeping my head down and getting on with my life, the other part of me wants to speak out. What is your take?" She also added a poll, allowing her followers to vote on whether she speaks out or stays quiet. She hasn't said anything yet, but watch this space.