For Victoria Beckham, husband David Beckham’s rumored cheating scandal in 2004 was the “most unhappy I have ever been in my life.”
The Spice Girls singer and the soccer icon got candid about the rough patches of their relationship for Netflix’s new documentary, “Beckham,” which premiered Wednesday. In an episode titled, “What Makes David Run,” the celebrity duo revisited the media firestorm surrounding David’s alleged affair.
“There was some horrible stories that were difficult to deal with,” David, 48, said in the documentary. “It was the first time that me and Victoria were put under that kind of pressure in our marriage.”
In April 2004, British tabloids including the News of the World reported that David, who was playing for Real Madrid, engaged in an extramarital affair with a woman named Rebecca Loos. At the time, David and Victoria were married for nearly five years and shared son Brooklyn Beckham. A month after the reports first dropped, David slammed British media for the coverage, which he said was an “absolute disgrace.”
Shortly after, another woman claimed that she had an affair with the soccer star. He also denied those claims.
Victoria, 49, told Netflix that the headlines about David’s alleged scandal took a toll on their relationship and their family life. “[It was] 100% the hardest period for us because it felt like the world was against us,” she said. Then she admitted, “We were against each other, if I’m completely honest.”
Amid the heightened media attention, the Beckham family reunited for vacation in Switzerland — with the paparazzi also tagging along.
“I don’t know how we got through it, in all honesty,” David said. “To see [Victoria] hurt was incredibly difficult but we’re fighters. And at that time we needed to fight for each other, we needed to fight for our family. What we had was worth fighting for.”
A rumored cheating scandal coupled with sports star power meant even more attention for David and his family — especially when they made the move to Spain. The spouses, who also share kids Romeo, Cruz and Harper Seven, recalled paparazzi tracking their moves, even at the school drop-off.
“It was a nightmare,” the fashion designer said.
Later in the documentary she likened her family’s time in the spotlight to a circus. “it’s really entertaining when the circus comes to town, right? Unless you’re in it.”
Nearly 20 years after the scandal, it seems David and Victoria are still going strong. The celebrity couple joined their children for the documentary’s red carpet premiere on Tuesday.
“Still making me laugh and I’m still teaching @davidbeckham to dance 😂 We all love you so much and are so proud of you,” Victoria captioned a collection of photos from the premiere.
“Beckham,” directed by Fisher Stevens, is now streaming on Netflix.