David Beckham’s Secret Family Rule: The Surprising Request He Made to Son Brooklyn About His Girlfriend

If you ever worried your parents might not approve of your tattoo, just imagine being David Beckham’s kid—there’s a family rule about it! Sure, we all remember Beckham bending it like, well, Beckham, but behind the glitz of his time at Manchester United and Real Madrid, the former football phenomenon is almost as famous for his ever-changing looks, his high-profile marriage to Victoria, and, of course, for carrying more ink than your neighborhood print shop . Turns out, those tattoos are practically a hereditary trait—his eldest son, Brooklyn, is now closing in on a century of them (with most dedicated to his wife, Nicola).

So what happens when your dad sets tattoo ground rules and you find yourself, mid-rebellion, contemplating fresh ink in a tattoo parlor? For Brooklyn, it meant a slightly awkward FaceTime call, the threat of a disappointed dad, and eventually… waiting until David could share in the first-inking moment . Is body art just the Beckhams’ latest family tradition, or is this whole story proof the apple really doesn’t fall far from the sleeve-covered tree? Unpack the drama, the rumors, and the surprisingly sentimental side to one of football’s most coolly illustrated families. LEARN MORE.

David Beckham is of course famous for his footballing career as one of the best players of his generation.

But outside of his time on the pitch for England and the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid, it’s also Becks’ appearance and personal life that has racked up his popularity.

From his various hairstyles to his marriage to Victoria Beckham, one aspect to David, who recently turned 50, is his collection of over 80 tattoos.

And that’s something he seems to have passed on to his eldest son Brooklyn who now has over 100.

Also dad to Romeo, Cruz and Harper Seven, he had to plead with his 26-year-old not to break the family tattoo rule while with his then-girlfriend as it ‘would make him upset’.

Most of Brooklyn’s tats are dedicated to Nicola. (Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Wendy’s)

With rumours of the Beckhams having a feud with Brooklyn’s wife, Nicola Peltz, firing back up after the pair didn’t attend David’s 50^th bash, he’s covered in tats dedicated to her.

From her face on his arm to her eyes on his neck, he’s had a whole load of inkings since he turned 18.

And when David appeared on The Late Late Show back in 2017, he revealed that he had laid down the rules when his lads were young when it came to tats.

“I’ve always said to him ‘Your first tattoo, if you’re going to have one, I want to be there’,” he said, “Just to experience it as a dad.”

The football legend said that was ‘the deal’ that was made, but he ended up getting a call from a friend that said ‘Brooklyn’s in a tattoo shop, you should probably call him’.

“So I called him, I FaceTimed him and I said, ‘What you doing mate?’” David recalled.

“And he said, ‘I’m just going for dinner.’ I was like, ‘Are you sure you’re going for dinner?’”

Brooklyn then admitted to his dad that he was with his girlfriend in a ‘tattoo place’ and was ‘thinking about having something’.

But David then reminded him: “I was like ‘Okay, you are more than welcome to have it.

“But remember, you promised me and I’m your dad and I would feel really upset if you actually went through with it.’”

In the end, Brooklyn didn’t break his dad’s rule and ‘thankfully’, he waited until David could be there for the first inking.

Seven years on though, he’s now got over 100 tattoos, beating out his dad, with 70 of them said to be dedicated to Nicola.