David and Victoria Beckham's latest performative gesture has made me 'Team Brooklyn'... and I'm not alone - Alex Davies

To recap, in his explosive six-page social media statement from January, Brooklyn accused his parents of trying to "ruin" his relationship with Nicola.

He also alleged that his mum "hijacked" the first dance at his wedding, ruled out "reconciling" with his parents, and claimed his brothers joined in the act by blocking him "out of nowhere".

The statement sent every showbiz journalist into a tailspin, with keyboards in press offices everywhere being pounded relentlessly while social media quickly split into two ardent camps.

'Team Peltz' rallied around the budding chef and his actress wife, lauding Brooklyn for finally breaking out of the shackles of Brand Beckham to tell his version of events.

Meanwhile, 'Team Beckham' condemned the 27-year-old for throwing his parents under the bus, branding Brooklyn "ungrateful" and all manner of expletives for seemingly catapulting the lavish and privileged lifestyle afforded to him by his parents back in their faces.

For instance, GB News' very own Patrick Christys appeared on Patrick Christys Tonight to call Brooklyn a "bigger brat than Prince Harry", while the People's Channel fan-favourite Nana Akua delivered a snivelling impression of the eldest Beckham son 24 hours after the statement.

And, to be frank, I was firmly camped in the tents of 'Team Beckham'. I grew up watching David become one of the world's biggest-ever footballers, and while I may not like to admit it, the Spice Girls had many a track that became synonymous with my childhood.

Brooklyn had been snubbing every Beckham family event for about a year before publishing his statement, despite his younger siblings all sticking by their parents' side.

He wouldn't even give his parents the courtesy of reposting, liking, or acknowledging their numerous public displays of affection on social media while he began his new life in Los Angeles with his new wife.

And then he published his statement just two months after his dad received a knighthood from King Charles III. The "spoilt brat" tag seemed well and truly justified to me... until now.

Whether you agree with him or not, Brooklyn has requested that he only speak with his parents through legal representatives.

In the weeks before he went public with his rant, it was reported that a "legal letter" was sent to his parents asking them to communicate through their solicitors. Overkill, maybe, but still a clear message.

This was believed to include the use of social media. Brooklyn had reportedly grown tired of his parents "liking" his posts and tagging him in their updates.

The eldest Beckham child had set a clear line for his parents. Whether called for or not, who knows? But the line had been drawn.

So why oh why have David and Victoria continued as though it's business as usual yet again?

March 4 marks Brooklyn's 27th birthday, and the Beckhams have decided to act like the family's dirty laundry wasn't hung out to dry in front of millions across the globe.

Instead, the husband and wife opted to broadcast their love for their eldest son for the world to see in a series of birthday posts.

"Happy birthday, Bust, we love you," Sir David penned, while Victoria went with the not-so-subtle: "I love you so much."

Yes, the desire for a parent to celebrate the occasion is totally understandable, and yes, a mother or father's love for their child won't abate during most disagreements.

But this time around, the Beckhams' gesture feels void of any real sentiment. Instead, they appear to be doing exactly what their furious son has accused them of.

"Performative social media posts"? Check. Measuring "family love by how much you post on social media"? Check again.

They couldn't even tag their eldest son in the social media posts due to the fact that they're blocked. So what was the point?

Brooklyn's younger brother Romeo, who is also supposedly at loggerheads with his older sibling, similarly reached out, publishing a snap of the two Beckham boys when they were kids.

The moves do nothing but give 'Team Peltz' more fuel and give more credence to the argument that Brand Beckham is all about theatrical moves that people can fawn over from the outside.

Hats off to the youngest brother, Cruz, the only member of the Beckham family to previously publicly address the spat. He's claimed it was actually Brooklyn who did the blocking on social media, and in a now-deleted TikTok, appeared to mock the feud.

Cruz didn't join in with the mutual Beckham back-slapping. The 21-year-old instead used the day to promote his own music and tour dates on his Instagram page.

The latest move by Victoria and David, innocent and well-meaning as it may seem, has prompted many raised eyebrows from yours truly and several who've been watching the feud unravel online.

Just a quick browse on X proves this. After the BBC posted on social media about the birthday posts, one X user cynically replied: "Fuelling the rumours that everything they do is a PR exercise."

"They could have bought a card and sent him it, or can't they afford a stamp? But I suppose that would mean the public wouldn't know about it, or their son wouldn't be publicly humiliated by them. For crying out loud, David and Victoria, grow up," a second echoed.

Elsewhere, another X user took things up a gear. "David Beckham is insufferable. Your kid has said he don’t f*** with you and asked you to stop posting stuff about him on social media," they fumed. "Trying to keep the perfect family image." (sic)

Sure, this is only a handful of responses, but they definitely represent a seeming change in the attitudes of some among those following the spat.

Of course, other reactions to the Beckhams' gesture differed. Some were of sadness at the divide among one of Britain's most well-known families.

There were also renewed calls for Brooklyn to "wake up" and reconcile with his parents, no matter their differences.

But then again, he's probably too busy in the tattoo studio covering up more ink or blow-torching cheese toasties to even see the posts.

But whatever side of the fence you sit on, it's hard not to see the Beckhams' latest olive branch as the emptiest of gestures.