‘Media war’: Extraordinary claims about Beckham marriage

David and Victoria Beckham’s marriage allegedly deteriorated into a “business relationship” and the pair played dirty, according to an explosive new book.

David and Victoria Beckham were at one point so estranged they waged a “media war” against each other, feeding negative stories to the press according to explosive claims.

In 2016 the couple, who met in 1997, were basically leading “separate lives”, according to British author Tom Bower in his highly anticipated new book The House of Beckham, which is expected to be released later this month.

Eight years ago, the power couple stumbled onto a rocky patch amid allegations of an affair between the famous soccer player and Rebecca Loos, his assistant and former model.

Their relationship deteriorated to the point it was just a “distant business relationship”, with the former England star accusing his wife and her publicist of “waging a media war” against him”.

David Beckham famously claimed marriage is “hard work” in an interview. Picture: AFP

Victoria Beckham may have planted the ‘Daddy is not a cheat’ story. Picture: Getty Images

The book paints a different picture to that of Netflix’s Beckham, the carefully curated docuseries that recounts David Beckham’s meteoric rise to fame.

For one thing, Bower claims the pair have no qualms about playing dirty.

“Reflecting the acrimony between the Beckhams, the two publicists began to compete rather than collaborate to promote their own client,” reads an extract published in The Mirror.

“Both fed negative stories about the other side to their favourite tabloid journalists.”

One such story was about an a family holiday in which Victoria reportedly told her children “daddy’s not a cheat”; another came when David told a reported marriage was “hard work”.

Bower writes the ensuing press storm “was like a nuclear bomb had gone off”.

David, 49, and Victoria, 50, in last year’s Beckham docuseries. Picture: Netflix

Cracks allegedly appeared in the Beckhams’ relationship in 2016, when David was working in Miami and Victoria was living in London with their children while building her fashion label.

“During London Fashion Week that year, she asked Beckham to return to London for a dinner... By the end of the celebration she must have wished he had stayed in America.

“Some whispered that the two had been embroiled earlier in a foul-mouthed row.”

Bower writes David was seen taking a flight to New York later that evening.

Victoria and David Beckham at home before Victoria's 50th birthday bash. Picture: Instagram

The couple with their children, Cruz, Romeo, Harper and Brooklyn. Picture: Instagram

Another flashpoint came when the pair attended Glastonbury together in 2017, when David arrived with his entourage a day before Victoria and partied with models until 5am.

Bower reports everyone was in “a great mood” until word came that she had arrived.

“With her entourage she headed in a golf buggy through the scruffy campers to the VIP zone. She was furious that her husband had failed to reply to her telephone calls,” Bower writes.

“Eventually, David appeared. Within seconds, they were embroiled in a ferocious argument.”

The couple has an estimated combined worth of A$778 million. Picture: WireImage

The book also claims Victoria despises David’s friend Dave Gardner, who asked the soccer player to be best man at his 2003 wedding before selling pictures to a magazine.

“His presence, she complained, increased the financial value of Gardner’s contract with OK! magazine,” Bower wrote, adding the lavish bash cost £2 million (A$3.8 million).

The decision to stay together was partly due to a shared understanding of the value of a united front, as well as Victoria’s determination to maintain the “illusion of a happy family”.

“They stuck together to support the Brand (sic),” Bower writes.

In honour of British Father’s Day, David, 49, posted to his Instragram account a photo of his four children, Brooklyn, 25, Romeo, 21, Cruz, 19, and Harper, 12, and also a photo of him straightening the tie on his father, Ted.

While Victoria, 50, is not in any of the photos, David posted “thank you” and tagged her account “for giving me these incredible people to love”.

Originally published as ‘Media war’: Extraordinary claims about Beckham marriage