Brooklyn Beckham took a dramatic public swipe at his famous family in January, declaring in a bombshell Instagram statement that he had cut ties and was not interested in repairing the relationship.
He revisited the family rift in a DoorDash commercial released in June, making a tongue-in-cheek reference to his estrangement while saying: “You’re probably wondering why I’m watching the Fifa World Cup 2026 from home… It’s a long story.”
Now, with reconciliation seemingly possible, Brooklyn has made another pointed move in the public fallout. The chef and entrepreneur has secured an endorsement from A-list actor Mark Wahlberg, a former friend of David Beckham, for his Cloud 23 hot sauce.
Wahlberg promoted the product on Instagram Stories, showing himself adding the sauce to grilled chicken. Holding the distinctive Cloud 23 bottle toward the camera, he said: “Sweet Jalapeno – my boy Brooklyn!”
Brooklyn launched Cloud 23 in 2024. A company spokesman said the brand name is “a warm nod” to his father, David Beckham, who wore the number 23 during his years with Real Madrid and LA Galaxy, following the example of basketball icon Michael Jordan.
Wahlberg, 55, is also incorporating the hot sauce into dishes served at Wahlburgers, the popular burger chain he co-founded in 2011, which now has more than 30 locations.
The actor was once close to David Beckham and worked with him commercially, but their relationship soured after Beckham’s company took legal action against Wahlberg’s fitness business.
Their friendship was once strong enough for the two families to holiday together in the summer of 2022. Wahlberg’s support for Brooklyn’s business now appears to place him firmly on one side of the ongoing family dispute.
The Cloud 23 hot sauce name is described as “a warm nod” to Brooklyn’s father, David Beckham
Action star Mark Wahlberg has actively promoted the brand through Instagram Stories
In what appeared to be a response to his father liking a social media post, Brooklyn wore a sweatshirt reading “It’s not clocking to you”
The endorsement carries an additional layer because Wahlberg has known Brooklyn’s billionaire father-in-law, Nelson Peltz, for years. He also played the father of Brooklyn’s wife, Nicola Peltz, in 2014’s Transformers: Age Of Extinction. At the time, Wahlberg said: “I have known Nicola since she was like 13. I am very good friends with her dad and the rest of the family. She has a really great work ethic.”
By bringing the Hollywood star into the Cloud 23 campaign, Brooklyn, 27, appears to be strengthening his connection to the Peltz family while remaining distant from his own relatives.
The development is unlikely to have gone unnoticed by David, who appeared to make a peace offering this week by liking one of Brooklyn’s Paris Fashion Week posts. Brooklyn did not return the gesture. He has reportedly blocked his family on Instagram, turning the social media silence into a highly visible public snub.
Brooklyn and Nicola attended Paris fashion events alongside her family, while notably avoiding Victoria Beckham’s show the previous weekend.
After his father’s online gesture, Brooklyn was photographed wearing a sweatshirt from Justin Bieber’s Skylrk fashion label bearing the phrase “It’s not clocking to you.” The wording, which originated in a dispute involving Bieber and a paparazzo, is slang for “you’re not getting it” or “you’re not understanding.”
In his January Instagram statement, Brooklyn said he wanted to be left alone and had found happiness away from what he described as his family’s “inauthentic” and “performative” public image.
People close to Brooklyn have said he finds it stressful when his parents mention him online, including through birthday or Christmas messages. It was also previously reported in this column that he had asked his parents to communicate with him only through lawyers.
David first became friendly with Wahlberg while living in Los Angeles. In 2020, he signed a commercial agreement with the actor’s fitness company, F45 Training.
Brooklyn partnered with Mark Wahlberg’s restaurant chain, Wahlburgers, to promote Cloud 23, following the reported 2020 fallout between David Beckham and the actor over their fitness business
Mark Wahlberg with David Beckham before their infamous spat, which took place six years ago
A shot of Mark and David hanging out on a boat with a group of friends
Aspiring chef Brooklyn has used his own hot sauce brand for some of his recipes
A post by Marky Mark praising the product
Mark starred alongside Nicola Peltz, Brooklyn’s wife, in 2014’s Transformers Age Of Extinction
But in October 2022, David sued F45 for a total of $18.8million for breach of contract over the deal, which had seen him become a brand ambassador.
He claimed in the lawsuit that he was not only owed $14.3million in damages, but was also entitled to $4.5million for declaratory relief under his contract with F45.
The dispute centred around stocks which Beckham said he had been promised. It was settled out of court in 2024.
In a statement, Wahlberg’s fitness company said that the lawsuit had been dismissed after they reached a ‘mutual business decision to resolve the matter’. They added: ‘DB Ventures Limited will remain an investor in F45 Training.’
Friends have been taking sides in the fallout between Brooklyn and his parents. Victoria’s fellow Spice Girls are naturally on Team Beckham, as is their old mate Gordon Ramsay, who has had family dramas of his own to contend with.
DJ Fat Tony, who played at Brooklyn and Nicola’s 2022 wedding, is Team Brooklyn.
Sir Elton John, a long-time friend of the couple and Brooklyn’s godfather, is neutral.
