The Netflix documentary left no stone unturned.
David Beckham’s new four-part documentary series, Beckham, promised to tell the unfiltered story of one of the most celebrated and scrutinised athletes of all time, and it may have done just that.
The docuseries gave fans a never-before-seen insight into how the footballer really is, from interviews with the man himself to those around him who know him best.
As the documentary became available to stream, several stand-out moments emerged, including David and Victoria Beckham breaking their silence on allegations that David had an affair with his former personal assistant, as well as an amusing moment of Victoria passing off that she came from a working class background.
With the documentary continuing to draw in viewers worldwide, here are 5 of the biggest revelations from Netflix’s Beckham.
David Beckham says 1998 World Cup red card made him “clinically depressed”
During the 1998 World Cup in France, David Beckham’s reputation as England’s golden boy took a turn for the worse when he kicked the back of Argentina captain Diego Simeone’s leg.
David revealed during the documentary that the hate he received following the controversial red card caused him to become “absolutely clinically depressed”.
“What I went through was so extreme,” he told the cameras. “The whole country hated me. Hated me.
“It changed my life. I felt very vulnerable and alone. Wherever I went I got abuse every single day… It took a toll on me that I never even knew myself. People look at you in a certain way, spit at you, abuse you, come up to your face and say some of the things that they said. That was difficult.”
Victoria Beckham added the “public bullying” her husband received was “another level”.
Victoria told David she was pregnant with Brooklyn the night before the Argentina match
Just Posh dropping a major bombshell to David right before 👀 the game 👀
— Netflix (@netflix) October 5, 2023
BECKHAM is now streaming! pic.twitter.com/eCDRmKarCd
In the docuseries, Victoria revealed that she told David the night before his red card moment in 1998 that she was pregnant with their first child, Brooklyn.
She made the call while she was in Brooklyn, New York – hence their son’s name.
Speaking to the camera, Victoria said: “I told David the night before the game. He was so, so happy, we both were and there was never any doubt in my mind that I should tell him. I mean, it was what we wanted and he could not have been happier.”
Victoria was not impressed by former England manager Glenn Hoddle
Both Victoria Beckham and David’s mother, Sandra, suggested that Glenn Hoddle had fuelled the anger towards David after the Argentina match.
During the documentary, Victoria said: “Glenn Hoddle didn’t come out and try to protect him. And how old was David, 23?
“You’re a kid at 23. Glenn Hoddle was a man. I wouldn’t say a man actually, he was an older person.”
David admitted that his then-Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and Victoria were instrumental in helping him through the year following the red card.
“It was such an emotionally draining season,” David said.
“I wouldn’t have got through it if I wasn’t at a club like Manchester United. But Victoria was the biggest reason I got through that time.”
Victoria and David Beckham break their silence on affair allegations
David and Victoria Beckham also broke their silence on how tough it was when allegations were made that David had had an affair with his former personal assistant, Rebecca Loos. The couple have always denied the claims.
In a conversation in the documentary, Victoria said: “It was the hardest period for us. Because it felt like the world was against us.
“We were against each other… Up until Madrid sometimes it felt like us against everybody else but we were together, we were connected, we had each other.”
She continued: “But when we were in Spain, it didn’t really feel that we had each other either. And that’s sad. I can’t even begin to tell you how hard it was and how it affected me.”
David also recalled when the allegations were made, and said: “Every time that we woke up we felt there was something else… we both felt at the time that we were not losing each other but drowning.”
How Fisher Stevens and Leonardo DiCaprio brought the documentary to life
The documentary was directed by Academy Award winner Fisher Stevens, who some viewers will recognise as Hugo from HBO’s Succession.
In a crossover no one saw coming, it was actually Leonardo DiCaprio who got Stevens the job as director.
“David was hanging out with Leo, and asked him who he should get,” Stevens told The Guardian.
“He recommended me! David watched Before the Flood then Palmer [the Apple TV+ drama starring Justin Timberlake] that I directed and saw something he liked – the emotion I guess.”
Victoria Beckham claimed to be from a working class background
In a moment that is more amusing than anything else, David Beckham calls out his wife for claiming to be from a working class background.
During the documentary, Victoria tells the camera that she and David both came from “very working class” families.
David then interrupts, shouting from behind the door: “Be honest. What car did your dad drive you to school in?”
Victoria then replies: “In the ’80s my dad had a Rolls Royce.”
Beckham is streaming now on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
Check out our lists of the best series on Netflix and the best movies on Netflix, or see what else is on with our TV Guide. Also visit our dedicated Documentaries hub for more news.
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