Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz have retained British lawyer Jenny Afia, a partner at the high-profile U.K. firm Schillings, to advise them on reputation management, PEOPLE and the Mail on Sunday reported. Afia previously represented Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in their high-profile privacy and defamation battles, including a case against the publishers of the Mail on Sunday.
The legal move comes amid growing tensions between Beckham, 26, and his parents, David and Victoria Beckham. The couple, who wed in 2022, were notably absent from the soccer star's 50th birthday celebration in London in May. Victoria Beckham attended the event along with children Romeo, Cruz, and Harper, but Brooklyn and Peltz did not travel to the U.K. despite being invited, PEOPLE confirmed.
"There are tensions between Brooklyn and Nicola and the family," a source told PEOPLE. "The relationship is definitely not beyond repair. They love and are always there for him. They're just hurt and disappointed that he's now playing no part in family life."
According to the Mail on Sunday, Beckham and Peltz's decision to bring in Afia has generated "much amusement" in some circles, due to the strained history between the Sussexes and the Beckham family. In November 2024, it was reported that Meghan Markle and Victoria Beckham had stopped speaking, allegedly over accusations of leaked stories.
Despite the public narrative, a legal source told PEOPLE, "There is absolutely no connection to Meghan and Harry. Schillings is a respected firm with a wide range of clients." The source added, "Ironically, the inaccurate reporting proves exactly why one hires legal counsel, to set the record straight and combat the spread of deliberate misinformation."
Afia made headlines during her past representation of Meghan Markle, when she publicly denied bullying allegations leveled against the Duchess of Sussex. Appearing in the BBC documentary The Princes and the Press, Afia said Meghan gave her permission to refute the claims, which the couple's team has long disputed.
The Beckham-Peltz camp has grown increasingly frustrated with negative media coverage, with a source telling the Mail on Sunday, "Nicola likes to control everything, and they have taken this rather drastic action." Another insider described the pairing of the couple with Harry and Meghan's lawyer as "ironic," noting the prior tensions between the families.
The connection to the Sussexes reportedly stems from a recent group dinner in Montecito, California, hosted by Paramount Pictures CEO Brian Robbins and his wife, Tracy Robbins. Brooklyn and Nicola were among the guests, along with Harry and Meghan, though PEOPLE reported the Beckhams were not personally invited by the royal couple. "Brooklyn and Nicola had a wonderful time and found Harry and Meghan to be particularly kind, caring and generous," a source said.
