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David and Victoria Beckham have made millions from their family-friendly brand, but that has been shaken to its core after their eldest went rogue and accused them of prioritising fame.

After months of estrangement following a tension-packed wedding to Nicola Peltz, 31, Brooklyn Beckham dropped a bomb online on Monday in a six-page Instagram story accusing his family of trying to ruin his marriage. He claimed they are "performative" and "controlling" and accused them of putting'Brand Beckham'before the children's needs.

He alleged that mum Victoria 'hijacked' his first wedding dance and performed 'inappropriate moves', and claimed that she had brought mysterious women from his past back into their lives in a bid to make him and Nicola feel 'uncomfortable'. Furthermore, he accused his parents of sending brothers Romeo and Cruz to attack him on social media, and claimed his parents pressured him to hand over the rights to his name.

Victoria, 51, is said to be 'in bits on the floor' over the claims, while David, 50, has been described as 'angry'. Indeed, it is a deeply personal attack and one that brings the 'loving family brand' into question. But what do those who know the couple have to say about them?

• Brooklyn Beckham's 'secret heartache' over sister Harper left out of explosive post

Newspaper columnist Sarah Vine says her children grew up playing football alongside the Beckhams, and that she had a front-row seat on the sidelines of who she describes as an 'ordinary and genuine' dad.

Writing in the Daily Mail she said: "I don't know the Beckhams well. But our boys – their third child, Cruz, and my youngest, Will played in the same football team together. They were worlds apart in terms of ability, of course, but nonetheless, for a brief period they shared a pitch. Apart from the fact that he was gigantically famous and stupidly good-looking, David was a perfectly ordinary touchline dad.

"He would stand there in the pouring rain with his hands thrust deep into his pockets, his hat clamped over his ears, yelling the usual words of encouragement. Every now and again a member of the public would approach for a selfie and an autograph, and he would oblige, keeping one eye on the pitch."

She further detailed how Victoria and baby Harper would join him - but would keep warm and dry in their Range Rover out of the rain. "One gets the impression football is not really Victoria's thing," she quipped.

"Whether all this was merely 'performative’, as Brooklyn describes it, I really cannot say. It seemed perfectly genuine to me at the time. Certainly, David’s relationship with his son Cruz seemed very far from 'inauthentic'. He was, if anything, extremely present. And he was also very kind to the other kids, too."

In private, it's been said that Brooklyn doesn't have an angry bone in his body, making his outburst all the more mystifying. One family friend, who has reportedly known the hot sauce creator since he was born, described him as a "sweet, shy, quiet and polite".

"Brooklyn has never been an angry person," the apparent friend said. "This is very out of character for the boy I knew. He was always nice. He was very well-mannered and sweet with his grandparents."

A former teacher at Runnymede College a British International School for English-speaking students, who taught Romeo and Brooklyn during David's stint at Spanish team Real Madrid, said that despite the bodyguards, the family were surprisingly 'normal' and 'down to earth'.

"In the beginning I suppose you are a bit star-struck but then you just got used to seeing them all the time. They're just like other parents, they want the best for their children," the teacher said according toWalesOnline.

"On the first day of term, David and Victoria brought in Romeo and Brooklyn just like any other mother and father. They were very down to earth and are lovely, lovely people. Romeo and Brooklyn are little darlings who really enjoy school. I saw Romeo more often because he was closer to the age group I was teaching."

The teacher also explained that there were 'round the clock' bodyguards protecting each youngster, and whenever there were photographers around, the children were taken inside. The teacher said David and Victoria "hated" the boys' pictures being taken by photographers.

Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney also lifted the lid on what Victoria is really like behind closed doors. And the reality may flip many preconceptions about 'Posh' on their head. Opening up on the The Wayne Rooney Show, he used the opportunity to describe the Beckhams' humble nature and said: "We met up with Becks and Victoria, me and Coleen, when he was at Madrid and went for dinner then, and we were having kebabs."

Rooney also shed light on Victoria's personality that may surprise some: "He's obviously a great lad, and Victoria's such a lovely woman and funny. A lot funnier than people would think."

Another source close to the family is Brooklyn's ex Lexi Wood who opened up about her relationship with the aspiring cook, as well as her thoughts on his family. "I just think the moment that I met his parents, they raised such a great family and I'm so family oriented that that's something that I've just always really looked up to and I hope to have one day. So I just respect them, I respect her family, I respect all of them. And my experience was really great," she said.

Speaking about the ongoing Beckham feud, Lexi, a Canadian model added: "But all I know is that the Beckhams did raise such amazing kids with such amazing morals and values that whatever is going on, I just know they did exactly the best thing."

But there is undeniably a shrewd side too. The couple didn't make an empire worth close to a rumoured billion by not knowing how to play the game. But at a detriment to their family? That's the case according to Brooklyn. "For my entire life, my parents have controlled narratives in the press about our family. The performative social media posts, family events and inauthentic relationships have been a fixture of the life I was born into.

"My family values public promotion and endorsements above all else. Brand Beckham comes first. Family "love" is decided by how much you post on social media, or how quickly you drop everything to show up and pose for a family photo op even if it's at the expense of our professional obligations.

"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."

From the moment he was born, Brooklyn was paraded in glossy magazine shoots or on the pitch with his dad. And Victoria and David are reported to be feeling "quite an element of guilt" for placing their eldest son in the spotlight.

PR expert, Mayah Riaz, tells the Mirror that fame from such a young age can cause confusion and resentment in offspring, even if their parents had pure intentions. "Children raised in famous families often don't realise where the brand ends and where they begin. That can absolutely affect identity and autonomy later in life," she said.

"When fame is normalised from birth, it becomes harder for a young person to develop a sense of self that exists separately from public expectation. However, participation does not automatically equal exploitation, especially when it's framed as family rather than commerce."

Meanwhile, Dr Jane Halsall, a chartered counselling psychologist, believes that Brooklyn's uncharacteristic outpouring will have been borne of a desperate need to take back a sense of control. "From a counselling psychology perspective, speaking publicly after prolonged privacy is often not impulsive, but a last-resort boundary," she tells the Mirror.

"Estrangement frequently emerges when repeated attempts at private repair fail, particularly where power imbalances, loyalty conflicts, or emotional coercion are present. Public disclosure may be a way of reclaiming agency when private channels no longer feel safe or effective."