Family splits are more common than people realise and are typically caused by abuse, new partners and differing beliefs
Family therapists say they typically come across three reasons why parents and children become estranged: abuse, new partners, and irreconcilable differences over morals, values and beliefs.
At least two of these were evident in the Beckhams’ highly publicised family feud, which culminated in Brooklyn Beckham’s scathing Instagram post this week announcing his estrangement.
Brooklyn said he did “not want to reconcile” with his family, citing his parents’ attempts “endlessly to ruin my relationship” and a desire to break free from their “performative social media posts, family events and inauthentic relationships”.
Although the Beckhams live what Becca Bland, a psychotherapist and expert on family estrangement, described as “a unicorn life” with “extraordinary features”, estrangement is more common than many people realise – and often plays out in a similar way in other families.
