Soccer legend David Beckham opens up about his wife Victoria's Spice-y past, revealing her true self in his 'Beckham' Netflix docuseries, how their kids reacted to her girl group era, their recent reunion he filmed, and any actual reunion possibilities.
To hear Mel B tell it, the Spice Girls have been deep in talks about a possible reunion -- well, almost as long as they've been broken up. One of the unknowns has always been Victoria Beckham aka Posh Spice. Now, husband David Beckham is setting the record straight.
The soccer legend sat down for a wide-ranging interview with Variety, with his wife coming up almost as much as his own career highlights.
David admitted that he was originally unsure about how much to feature his wife and their four kids in their Netflix docuseries Beckham. Then he realized, they were too much a part of his story. David and Victoria share Brooklyn, 25, Romeo, 21, Cruz, 19, and Harper, 12.
"My career was about my kids, and it was about my wife, because we’ve been together now for 27 years. The kids lived through the whole thing. I wanted them to be part of it, but I didn’t want to put too much pressure on having them in there and having them speak."
He said his biggest worry was for their youngest daughter, Harper, whose only just starting to fully understand her parent's fame, and all the trappings that come with it. "I was a little bit worried about my daughter seeing some of the things that were being said about me over the years and how she would react."
He was also worried how she might react to Victoria's Spice-ier days, sharing that he's been warning her for years "that Mommy used to wear very, very short skirts."
"And then she was like, ‘Daddy, Mommy did really wear really, really short skirts!'" David shared. "But she loved it."
Victoria Beckham Recalls Being Bullied, Being Told She Couldn't Sing: 'Kids Can Be Bloody Horrible'
View StoryHarsh Media Scrutiny
One positive for David, as far as public reaction to the project, was how fans got a fresher perspective on his wife, finally getting to see the Victoria that he knew -- beyond the public perception of "Posh Spice."
"Everyone was like, ‘Oh, my God, that person that David’s been saying about for the last 27 years, that is her," he said of the reaction. "It’s not just about the non-smile and the pout. That’s what I see every single day."
He said that the "pout" became a fixture in harsh media coverage of Victoria during the Spice Girls heyday of the 1990s, which is also when the two of them first got together. Looking back at all they endured in the public eye for the series, David said he realized the value of mental health.
David Beckham Compares Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce to Early Days with Victoria
View Story"20 years ago, nobody was talking about it. And nobody was taking it seriously," he said. "Now, it’s so great that people can actually talk about their feelings… There were many things said about us over the 27 years. It can be hurtful."
According to David, he's not the only one who came out of the docuseries with that perspective. He shared that recently, he and Victoria came out of a pub to a note on their car: "We’re sorry how you were treated." They've kept the letter.
The couple's experience was compared to what Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift are going through now, though David said "hopefully that's improved" in regards to how women tend to be treated in these situations. "It's ridiculous that we're even talking about it," he added. "But I'm sure Taylor's strong enough to handle whatever."
Spice Girls Reunion(s)
One of the biggest moments that only further stoked reunion hopes for Spice GIrls fans, aside from all of Mel B's interviews with anyone, came with Victoria's 50th birthday on April 17. Suddenly, David shared a video of all five women together on the stage, with Cruz on guitar.
"I know it’s what people want, but in all honesty, I think I was the most excited of anyone," he said of seeing all five ladies on any stage together after 15 years.
Formed in 1994, the Spice Girls quickly becoming the best-selling girl group of all time by the time they disbanded in 2000. They were also known by their alter egos, each defined by their own "spice."
- Scary Spice: Melanie "Mel B" Brown
- Sporty Spice: Melanie "Mel C" Chisolm
- Ginger Spice: Geri Halliwell
- Baby Spice: Emma Bunton
- Posh Spice: Victoria Beckham (née Adams)
Watch Cruz Beckham Play Guitar in 'Spontaneous Performance' at a Pub
View Story"The whole reason why the girls are actually up there was I didn’t want to do a traditional video of old clips and people saying, ‘Happy birthday, Victoria!’" David explained of his birthday plans for his wife. "My idea was to re-create the ‘Mama’ video, but I wanted it of just Victoria."
Then, the Girls got up on stage and joined Cruz all on their own. "It was an amazing moment." But does that mean the itch is there for a full-on reunion for the fans?
"Unfortunately, that’s not happening," David said, dashing the hopes of a whole generation of fans. "Victoria was so pleased to see the girls, and it was a massive part of her life, the girls, but obviously, all the girls have got their own things going on."
"They will do certain things together at certain times," he continued. "But Victoria’s full on with her beauty and fashion businesses. If anyone’s busier than me, it’s her."
But David has the fans' backs, too, telling them, "There’s nothing more that I’d like to see than the girls on stage again, so I’ll still work at it, don’t worry!"
Him and Mel B both.