WHEN you date one Beckham, you date the whole brood.
So make no mistake, news that middle son Romeo has reunited with Kim Turnbull after a five-month break is a significant development for everyone concerned.
After all, his former flame was blamed earlier this year for igniting the feud between the Beckhams and their eldest lad, Brooklyn.
It came as rumours swirled that she dated their first-born long before coupling up with his younger brother.
Reports suggested at the time that Brooklyn’s wife, Nicola Peltz-Beckham, felt “uncomfortable” around Kim and didn’t want her in the fold.
And although Kim vehemently denied that she and Brooklyn were ever an item, the pressure no doubt contributed to her decision to step away from the family circus in May.
At the time, insiders argued that Kim and Romeo’s break was amicable and undramatic, and had nothing to do with soaring tensions with his now estranged brother.
But there is no denying that all the scrutiny had an impact, as Kim herself lashed out at the “harassment” and “lies” levelled against her.
Cut to this week and Romeo, 23, posted a cosy snap of himself with 24-year-old Kim, a model and DJ — seemingly confirming whispers they had reunited after he liked several of her Instagram snaps in recent weeks.
Once again, the implications for the family are huge.
Let’s remember, we are fast approaching a year since Brooklyn and Nicola were last pictured with the Beckhams, in December 2024.
Respectful silence
In the interim, their silent estrangement has been deafening, as they failed to publicly acknowledge David’s 50th birthday in May or his long-hoped-for knighthood the following month.
Likewise, they did not blink as Victoria won plaudits for her Paris Fashion Week show and launched her self-titled Netflix documentary series earlier this month.
Likewise, they did not blink as Victoria won plaudits for her Paris Fashion Week show and launched her self-titled Netflix documentary series earlier this month.
What Brooklyn and Nicola did do was loudly declare their devotion to one another.
But now that David and Victoria have implicitly co-signed on Romeo’s reunion with Kim, insiders say there really is “no going back”.
If Brooklyn and Nicola were testing his parents’ loyalty, Kim’s proud return to the family fold says a lot.
Consider again the tenets of the Beckham clan. As we know, the family comes as a package deal and — like the monarchy — it is built on hierarchy, bloodlines and loyalty.
If Brooklyn and Nicola were testing his parents’ loyalty, Kim’s proud return to the family fold says a lot
Try to overstep your status or stage a coup and you will be cast out quicker than you can say, “Bend it like Beckham”.
But align yourself with the status quo — and the brand — and the pay-off can be huge.
Just look at Jackie Apostel, the girlfriend of their youngest son Cruz, who has been flying the flag for the next gen Beckham Wags in recent months.
Earlier this week, Victoria and David, who are also parents to Harper, 14, wished Jackie a happy 30th birthday on Instagram — with Victoria declaring, “We all love you” and David calling her “a very special person inside and out”.
This follows Jackie’s dutiful dedication to her would-be in-laws over the past year.
She cheered Victoria on in Paris, and also walked the red carpet with the brood at the premiere of Vic’s Netflix series.
Over the summer, she was a mainstay on their £16million yacht in St Tropez and the Amalfi Coast.
And, of course, she was dressed to the nines in a Victoria Beckham number at David’s black-tie 50th bash.
Notably, Kim was also in attendance at that star-studded event — also dressed in Victoria Beckham threads.
But it proved to be her last public outing with the clan as, just weeks later, reports emerged that she and Romeo had split after some seven months together.
At the time, scrutiny was at an all-time high over Brooklyn and Nicola’s shocking snub of David’s big birthday events. Meanwhile, reports swirled from Nicola’s camp that she was fuming over Kim’s omnipresence.
And Brooklyn has since made it clear countless times that his wife comes first. He doubled down on that message in May, calling Nicola his “whole world” and writing in a gushing tribute: “I always choose you baby.”
Most recently, he said in an interview at the Ryder Cup celebrity golf match: “There’s always going to be people saying negative things, but I have a very supportive wife.
“Me and her — we just do our thing, we just keep our heads down and work. And we’re happy.”
There’s always going to be people saying negative things, but I have a very supportive wife
Brooklyn
While it was widely reported that Brooklyn and Kim had dated when she was 17 and he was 16, those rumours were dispelled.
Cruz was first to rubbish the claims on Instagram. When one fan commented under a photo of Romeo and Kim, “It’s appropriate to date your brother’s ex too? Cool”, Cruz bluntly responded: “Brooklyn and Kim never dated.”
Then, in the immediate aftermath of her break-up from Romeo, Kim took the matter into her own hands. She wrote on Instagram in June: “I’ve avoided speaking on this topic to prevent adding fuel to the fire, however it’s come to a point where I feel the need to address it.
“I will not continue to receive harassment or be embarrassed on the basis of lies, to fit a certain narrative.
“I have never been romantically involved in ANY capacity at ANY point with the person in question.”
She then took a step away from the famous family.
But, crucially, she has maintained a respectful silence since.
And that has undoubtedly made her return to the fold all the more seamless.
Meanwhile, in August, Brooklyn and Nicola went for the jugular, holding an elaborate vow renewal ceremony that demonstrably erased the Beckhams from the narrative. Nicola’s billionaire father Nelson Peltz presided over proceedings, while the “bride” wore her mother Claudia’s wedding dress.
She and Brooklyn then spent the summer holidaying with her family on their £85million yacht in Europe — casting a large shadow over the Beckhams’ relatively smaller vessel.
The message was clear: Nicola does not plan to walk in Victoria’s shadow; instead, she is ready to leave her in-laws in the shade.
All this has, of course, been devastating for Victoria.
But her one saving grace has been the people she has supporting her.
Perhaps, surprisingly, it is singer Jackie who has devotedly cemented herself in recent months as the de facto daughter-in-law.
As a pay-off, she is now living the gilded life that only those in the Beckhams’ inner circle enjoy.
She has become one of Victoria’s most valued brand ambassadors, and recently had the honour of promoting her beauty brand online.
What’s more, she has landed lucrative ads for brands including Dior Sauvage, Sol De Janeiro and Jimmy Choo, and signed deals with the likes of Burberry and Summer Fridays.
Playing by the rules
Experts say she can now earn £10,000 per sponsored post.
As well as finding love, Jackie, who grew up in Brazil, has been granted access to an exclusive world and is playing by the rules.
Now, provided that Kim treads the same path, there is no reason why she should not also be fully welcomed back into the fold — and get to enjoy certain perks along the way.
She herself is no stranger to the gilded life of a well-heeled clan.
Raised in North London, she is part of the bohemian Turnbull dynasty and — as a teenager — socialised with the likes of Brooklyn and fellow nepo baby, Madonna’s son Rocco Ritchie.
Following Kim and Romeo’s tacit soft launch as a reunited couple this week, Kim has kept sensibly quiet on Instagram
Her grandfather was the renowned post-war sculptor and painter William Turnbull, whose work has been exhibited at galleries including London’s Tate.
Meanwhile, her dad Alex founded influential hip-hop label Ronin Records and is a longtime member of the post-punk band, 23 Skidoo.
As a DJ and influencer, Kim already has some high-profile events under her belt.
But being closely associated, for the right reasons, with one of showbiz’s most famous families will only help her career.
Following Kim and Romeo’s tacit soft launch as a reunited couple this week, Kim has kept sensibly quiet on Instagram.
But it is only a matter of time before we see her hit the red carpet, dressed once more in Victoria Beckham fineries.
It’s a case of date one, date them all. But always play by the rules.