Victoria Beckham is reflecting on a beloved past family moment shared between husband David Beckham and their three sons, Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz, amid the family’s ongoing strife.
In an Instagram post shared on Thursday, January 22, photographer Platon Antoniou shared a series of photos from a 2006 photoshoot with David, now 50.
“In 2006, I travelled to Madrid to photograph David Beckham,” Antoniou wrote. “He was playing for REAL MADRID and by now was one of the world’s biggest superstars. That day his family came to visit. Victoria arrived with Brooklyn, who was seven years old, Romeo, who was four and Cruz, who was just a baby.”
Antoniou continued, “Brooklyn and Romeo charged into the studio wearing football kits, kicking balls, doing headers and other tricks. While Victoria was busy with the children, I started work with David. At one point, Brooklyn ran on set with his football under his arm and hugged his dad’s right leg. Then, Romeo joined his older brother. Then, Victoria also appeared with baby Cruz in her arms. The whole family turned away from us for a private heartfelt group hug. It was a poignant thing to see — this spontaneous moment of affection happening on a giant photography set in front of 60 people. Celebrity comes with a heavy price and often it is family members who also pay.”
Antoniou noted that “to see this tenderness was very moving,” adding that he “knew it would make a beautiful picture, especially as this famous family [was] not facing my camera.”
“But my portraits are always collaborative and I never feel comfortable stealing a moment,” he wrote. “If I had taken a single frame, it would have betrayed trust and invaded privacy. So, I put down my camera and took a picture only with my eyes.”
Antoniou continued, “After the session, I approached Victoria and asked if we could recreate the family embrace I had seen from my perspective. She gently smiled and said, ‘Thank you for not taking that picture earlier. Today, I’m not here as a celebrity, I’m here as a mother. I hope you don’t mind if I respectfully pass.’”
Antoniou shared that he found Victoria’s “human response dignified and sincere.”
“Then, sensing my slight disappointment Victoria said, ‘But David will do a back shot.’ So, I photographed David on his own facing away – a man stripped bare, no belt, no designer shirt, no fancy watch,” he wrote.
Alongside the message, Antoniou shared a black-and-white photo of David shirtless and facing away from the camera, with his “Brooklyn” and “Romeo” and “Cruz” tattoos visible as he rocked a pair of jeans. (David and Victoria, 51, also share daughter Harper Seven, 14.)
In another image, David turned his head half-way toward the camera and stared off in the distance.
“I’m normally drawn to eyes, but when we can’t see the face we search for other clues that may reveal someone’s humanity,” he concluded. “In this picture, although David stands alone, we see the love of his children tattooed onto his back. Family is everything. David Beckham, I salute you.”
In the comments section, Victoria wrote, “Brings back great memories! ❤️.”
The post comes days after Brooklyn, 26, made headlines when he broke his silence on his ongoing feud with his parents in a lengthy social media statement. In the upload, Brooklyn shared that he does “not want to reconcile” with his family and alleged that his parents have been “trying endlessly to ruin [his] relationship” with wife Nicola Peltz Beckham. (Us Weekly reached out to reps for David and Victoria at the time.)
“I have been controlled by my parents for most of my life,” he wrote via his Instagram Story on Monday, January 19. “I grew up with overwhelming anxiety. For the first time in my life, since stepping away from my family, that anxiety has disappeared. I wake up every morning grateful for the life I chose, and have found peace and relief. My wife and I do not want a life shaped by image, press, or manipulation. All we want peace, privacy and happiness for us and our future family.”
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